315 undocumented migrants held across Turkey

By Serhat Zafer and Hakan Mehmet Sahin

SIVAS/EDIRNE, Turkey

At least 315 undocumented migrants were held across Turkey on Monday, according to security officials.

In the central Sivas province, security forces stopped a bus on the Sivas-Erzincan highway, leading to 22 Afghan nationals being held, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to media, said.

The bus driver was remanded in custody.

Separately, in the western Edirne province, 293 undocumented migrants were held -- including Afghan, Syrian, Moroccan, Libyan, Iranian, Pakistani, Algerian and Palestinian nationals.

Turkey has been a main route for refugees trying to cross into Europe, especially since the beginning of the civil war in Syria.

Among migrants held in the course of 2017 in Turkey, most came from Pakistan -- around 15,000 -- followed by Afghans at around 12,000. Syrians totaled about 10,000.

There has been a 60 percent increase in migrant flow since 2016. The number was 31,000 in 2016.