Ankara, Nov 15 (IANS): Turkey apprehended 242 irregular migrants in the Esenyurt district of Istanbul, the country's most populated city, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said Friday on X.

In security operation 'KALKAN-29', Turkish police, in cooperation with the Directorate General for Migration Management, targetted areas prone to irregular migration activity, including public parks, hotels and key roadways, he said.

The operation deployed 370 police officers, 93 migration management staffers and 31 mobile migration units, he added, without specifying the time frame.

According to Yerlikaya, mobile units conducted identification and fingerprint checks on 4,765 foreign nationals across Esenyurt's neighbourhoods, with 242 confirmed as irregular migrants. Deportation proceedings have begun.

"The KALKAN-29 operation underscores Turkey's commitment to maintaining lawful immigration practices while addressing the challenges posed by irregular migration," he said.

Yerlikaya announced in early November that Turkish security forces had conducted nearly 6,339 operations against human trafficking organisations this year, arresting 3,924 criminals, Xinhua news agency reported.

Turkey faces great challenges in managing illegal migration due to its unique geographic position between Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

The country is considered a critical transit route for migrants seeking entry into European countries, and a destination and transit point for refugees from conflict-ridden regions, particularly Syria and Afghanistan.

In recent years, Turkey has intensified border security, strengthened legal frameworks, and enhanced international collaboration to combat the increasing activities of human smuggling rings.