Syrian Migrant Flock To Turkey's Edirne Border, After Migrant Boat Disasters

– In northwestern province of Edirne bordering Greece and Bulgaria, thousands of illegal migrants keep flocking to the border gate and facing sheltering problems in the town.

While thousands risk death to cross into Europe through Aegean waters, thousands of others attempt to cross through land routes. However, thousands have been sending back although they have papers.

After the migrant boat tragedies in Turkey’s Bodrum sparking an outrage with the image showing three-year-old Syrian Aylan and 5-year-old Galip brothers having drowned and washed ashore, migrants changed their routes to Edirne to cross into Greece through land routes.

In two days, after inspections some 560 illegal migrants have been captured by the gendarmerie team and the Tunca shelter house for migrants in Edirne affiliated to the police department has failed to open doors to these migrants with its capacity for 400 people.

Meanwhile, the Edirne Gendarmerie Command and Police Department launched 24-hours control shifts on late Sep. 10. Since last night, some 700 Syrian migrants have been blocked and sent back from the gate by buses, told Edirne Mayor Ali Şahin

According to Şahin, the number of 250 irregular migrant transitions has risen to 720.

Mayor Şahin announced their plans to increase the capacity of Tunca Shelter House from 400 to 900, while installing an additional building to cover the number of migrants, and strengthen the structure of the building.

“We will install basketball court and football fields along with a playground for the children” added Mayor of Edirne.

In the town, since January more than 12,000 illegal migrants have been captured, while most of them were of Syrian origin.