Over 300 illegal migrants are detained in Turkey

• 314 refugees caught attempting to illegally enter Europe in Izmir, Turkish media report.
• Five individuals in charge of planning the crossings have been arrested.
• More than 37,000 undocumented refugees deported back to their home countries since the beginning of 2013.
• Approximately 4 million refugees reside in Turkey according to official estimates.
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At least 314 refugees attempting to illegally enter Europe have been caught in western province of Turkey, Izmir, since last week, according to local media.

As reported the arrest of five individuals in charge of planning the crossings.

Refugees from Liberia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Yemen, Palestine, Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria were taken to a centre in Izmir where they would be processed.

Read more: Turkey issues 18 arrest warrants

According to the report, 136 of them were quickly taken to the airport under strict security measures and put on charter flights back to Afghanistan.

According to the Turkish News Agency, more than 37,000 undocumented refugees have been deported back to their home countries since the beginning of the year, an increase of 89 percent compared to the same period last year.

Turkish News Agency said that among those deported, more than 20,000 originated in Afghanistan and were returned via aeroplane.

According to the Turkish Ministry of the Interior, more than 24,000 refugees from 89 nations are still being held in processing centres pending deportation.

Read more: Turkey detained eight Iranians targeting Israeli tourists