Irregular migration incidents at sea in Türkiye fell by 48 percent in the first eight months of 2026 compared with the same period last year, with a significant decline also recorded over the past three years, according to data from the Turkish Coast Guard Command.
Between January 2024 and Aug. 30, 2026, both the number of irregular migration incidents and the number of migrants intercepted at sea declined substantially, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Sept. 1, citing the figures by the command.
In 2024, Coast Guard units recorded 2,011 incidents involving 55,726 irregular migrants. The figures fell to 767 incidents and 20,078 migrants in 2025.
As of Aug. 30 this year, authorities intercepted nearly 6,000 irregular migrants in 256 incidents at sea.
Of the 767 incidents recorded throughout 2025, 494 occurred during the first eight months of the year. Compared with the 256 incidents recorded during the same period in 2026, this represented a 48 percent decline.
The number of migrants intercepted also dropped by 53 percent, from 12,857 in the first eight months of 2025 to 5,984 by Aug. 30 this year. Monthly figures showed that August saw the highest number of irregular migrants intercepted in 2026.
Deadly accidents and hazardous journeys during attempts to cross the sea also continued to claim lives. Forty-four irregular migrants died in 2024, rising to 59 in 2025. By Aug. 30, 46 deaths had been recorded this year.
Authorities have also stepped up efforts to target migrant smugglers organizing sea crossings. Coast Guard units apprehended 484 suspected smugglers in 2024, 363 in 2025 and 143 by the end of August 2026.
Türkiye has emerged as a key transit route for migrants seeking to reach Europe, particularly following the influx triggered by the civil war that began in Syria in 2011. The Turkish Coast Guard regularly conducts interception and rescue operations along the country’s Aegean coastline.
