site.btaOver 2.5 Million Illegal Migrants Caught by Turkish Authorities between 2005 and 2024 - Study

A total of 2,667,379 illegal migrants were caught by Turkish authorities between 2005 and 2024, according to a survey by the Istanbul Planning Agency.

The study was based on data from the Turkish Interior Ministry's migration department, the private news agency ANKA reported.

A total of 126,766 illegal migrants were apprehended from the beginning of this year until August. The largest number of those caught were from Afghanistan - 37,452, followed by those from Syria - 27,112.

The study states that there are currently 3,103,606 Syrians residing in Turkiye who have temporary protection status.

From 2020 to August 2024, the number of Syrian migrants has decreased by 537,764 people. It is not stated for what reason.

More than half a million, namely 530,217 Syrians, are registered in the 16-million-strong city of Istanbul, representing 3.28% of the metropolis' population.

Data on foreigners of other nationalities are also included in the study. A total of 1,109,025 foreigners are registered as permanent residents in Turkiye. Of these, about half - 540,969 - are in Istanbul. Antalya comes second.

Of all the registered foreigners, the largest number are citizens of Turkmenistan, followed by those from Russia.