NEWS

71 Syrians stopped trying to reach Greece by sea

71 Syrians stopped trying to reach Greece by sea

Turkey's coast guard says it stopped 71 Syrian migrants attempting to reach Greece.

The migrants were stopped in a rubber dinghy early Tuesday in Izmir province, on the Aegean sea, as they began their journey to the Greek island of Lesvos.

Turkey and the European Union struck a deal in March 2016 to stem the flow of migrants from Turkey's western coasts. In the year before the deal, an estimated 1 million people crossed to Greece and nearly half landed on Lesbos. Hundreds drowned.

According to Turkish coast guard statistics, more than 5,000 migrants have been stopped so far this year, a fifth of the total number in 2016. [AP]

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