Turkish forces detain 149 Afghan migrants

Turkish security personnel have arrested nearly 150 Afghan migrants on the border with Iran, media reports said on Saturday.

The Afghan citizens were detained on Thursday in the eastern city of Bitlis after the country boosted border security to block entry from Afghanistan via Iran.

Local officials said one person was arrested on suspicion of smuggling migrants inside a truck trailer, Reuters reported.

The local governorate said the migrants were later brought to a repatriation centre in the eastern province of Van, located on the country’s border with Iran.

Turkey enhanced security measures after the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) took power in mid-August.

Turkey hosts more than 4 million refugees, with a vast majority from Syria. It is the world’s leading refugee host.