STORY: 96 illegal immigrants detained after raids in Istanbul
DATELINE: June 17, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:24
LOCATION: ISTANBUL, Türkiye
CATEGORY: OTHERS/LAW

SHOTLIST:
1. various of illegal immigrants caught by police
2. various of illegal immigrants being deported at the airport in Türkiye

STORYLINE:

Turkish police have detained 96 illegal immigrants in Istanbul in a major operation, local media reported on Friday.

The police carried out raids across the country's largest city, Istanbul, targeting addresses believed to be "illegal immigrant houses," the Ihlas news agency reported.

They held the illegal immigrants whose countries of origin were not known. But most of them came from Asia and the Middle East, according to the agency.

Türkiye is a popular destination for illegal immigrants and a transit country for those who hope to reach European Union member states.

The illegal immigrants were sent to the city's migration directorate for deportation procedures. The houses used as "safe haven" for the immigrants were sealed off, it added.

Approximately 43,000 irregular migrants have been deported since the beginning of this year, indicating a 29 percent increase compared to the same period of last year, according to official data from Türkiye's Ministry of Interior. In Istanbul alone, nearly 6,000 illegal immigrants were held over the last month.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Istanbul, Türkiye.
(XHTV)