“On 20 September 2021 at 22.10, Coast Guard Lake Van Group Command teams detected an inflatable boat with some irregular migrants off the coast of Adilcevaz district of Bitlis province by thermal cameras. 2 CG boats dispatched to the area immediately. The sailing inflatable boat which took on the water was intercepted and 57 irregular migrants on the inflatable boat were apprehended,” the statement said.

Historically, Turkey has been a country of origin, transit, and destination for migrants and was a crossroads between Europe and Asia.

Recent regional events have contributed to Turkey increasingly becoming a major destination and transit country for those fleeing conflict, poverty, and disasters.

Turkey hosts one of the largest migrant and refugee populations in the world.

According to the official reports, 113,865 irregular migrants held across the country in 2020.