Turkey has repatriated at least 42,666 irregular migrants since the beginning of 2022 amid the continued fight against irregular migration across the country.

The 42,666 irregular migrants included 24,341 Afghan and 6,025 Pakistani nationals, the country's migration management authority said on Tuesday.

Turkey operated its 94th charter flight to Afghanistan since the beginning of 2022 to fly back irregular Afghan migrants, the Presidency of Migration Management said in a written statement.

With five charter flights between June 18-21 from the eastern province of Malatya, the country returned 1,135 Afghan nationals to Afghanistan's capital Kabul, the statement noted, adding that the number of Afghan nationals deported in 2022 has reached 24,341.

Turkey has been a key transit point for asylum seekers aiming to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.

Already hosting 4 million refugees, more than any other country in the world, Turkey is taking new security measures at its borders to humanely prevent a new influx of migrants.

Meanwhile, the Turkey representative for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Philippe Leclerc said that about 800 Syrian refugees are returning to their country from Turkey every week but conditions are not suitable for a large number of voluntary returns./aa