Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya on Friday said security forces detained 144 undocumented migrants in simultaneous operations conducted across 27 provinces.

The Turkish minister said on social media platform X that identity checks were conducted on 8,322 people in major metropolitan areas including Istanbul, Gaziantep, Mersin, Adana, and Sanliurfa, resulting in the identification of 144 undocumented migrants, without specifying the time frame of the inspections.

Yerlikaya emphasized that deportation procedures for the detained migrants have commenced.

Turkey faces challenges in managing illegal migration as it serves as a key transit route for migrants attempting to enter European nations.