Passengers arrive at Damascus International Airport in Damascus, Syria, on Jan. 23, 2025. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua)
Ankara: Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said Wednesday that 81,576 Syrians have voluntarily returned to their homeland since Dec. 9 last year, bringing the total number of voluntary returns since 2017 to 821,579.
Turkiye currently hosts 4,121,663 legally residing foreigners, including 2,865,430 Syrians, 1,066,013 residence permit holders, and 190,220 individuals under international protection, Yerlikaya told a press conference.
To combat irregular migration, Turkish authorities have intensified border security and deportation measures, he said.
Since last year, 142,536 irregular migrants have been deported, while law enforcement has conducted 7,871 operations against human smuggling networks and arrested 5,164 individuals involved in migrant trafficking, he said.
To strengthen migration control, 270 mobile migration vehicles have been deployed across 81 provinces, enhancing operational efficiency in tracking and managing undocumented migrants, he added.
