Via Hürriyet (Link in Turkish) – A total of 50,000 migrants were caught while trying to cross to Greece or Bulgaria in Edirne throught the last year. Compared to the number of migrants caught in 2016 (31,000), the number of arrests increased by 19%. Among the arrested were around 15,000 Pakistanis, 12,000 Afghans and 10,000 Syrians. The number of Syrian refugees fleeing the war in their countries fell from 16,000 to 10,000 from 2016 to 2017. Further migrants from Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq and Iran had been arrested throughtout 2017.

Among the 50,000 arrested irregular migrants, 1,300 were afterwards deported back by the Edirne Provincial Immigration Authority.

Meanwhile in 2017, despite the international agreements, Greek security forces pushed back 6,000 refugees who entered Greek territory via the Evros River. Most of those forced back from Greece, claimed that they were either beaten by Greek police, or their phones and money were appropriated.