ISTANBUL, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish coast guard has caught a total of 59,712 illegal migrants trying to reach Europe via Turkey this year, the force unveiled on Friday.
The Aegean Sea remains the main route for illegal migrants, as 59,455 of them attempted to sneak into Greece with inflatable boats, according to figures released on the force's website.
The others either tried to cross the Evros River separating Turkey and Greece, or attempted to go to Bulgaria through the Black Sea.
Last year, the number of illegal migrants who were captured by the Turkish coast guard was 25,739.
The force also reported the deaths of 34 migrants in the Aegean this year, noting that 79 suspected human traffickers had been detained across the country.
Turkey agreed to help curb the flow of illegal migration under a deal signed with the European Union in March 2016.
