Turkish Coast Guard intercepts dozens of irregular migrants off Izmir coast

The Turkish Coast Guard intercepted 38 irregular migrants while rescuing an additional 14 off Seferihisar, a district in western Izmir province.

According to the Coast Guard Command, authorities received reports of a group of irregular migrants aboard a rubber boat off Seferihisar’s coast. A coast guard vessel was promptly dispatched to the area, Daily Sabah reports.

Teams intercepted the rubber boat, apprehending 38 irregular migrants, including 11 children. One individual, suspected of facilitating migrant smuggling, was taken into custody.

In a separate incident, 14 migrants aboard another rubber boat were rescued after being pushed back into Turkish territorial waters by Greek forces off the district’s coast.

Following standard processing, all irregular migrants were handed over to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management.

Türkiye has historically hosted a substantial proportion of the world’s Syrian refugee population, at one point accommodating more than 3.8 million Syrians. While many refugees initially lived in tent camps and container cities in southeastern towns, over time, most settled elsewhere, establishing new lives in major western cities.

Amid continued irregular migration attempts, Türkiye has strengthened security along its land borders and increased Coast Guard patrols, particularly in the Aegean Sea—the main route for migrants attempting to reach Europe.

Many migrants undertake perilous journeys over land or sea with the assistance of smugglers, who often abandon them mid-journey after collecting thousands of dollars from each individual. Others are intercepted by Turkish security forces before attempting to cross into Europe.

The Greek coast guard has been repeatedly accused of engaging in pushbacks, a controversial practice in which migrant boats are driven back from Greek islands into Turkish waters.

Over the past five years, Turkish authorities have intercepted 105,437 migrants in the country’s seas, rescuing them from the often treacherous waters of the Aegean, where numerous lives have been lost.

By Vafa Guliyeva