ISTANBUL, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish coast guard on Monday rescued a total of 44 illegal migrants stranded on an island in the Aegean Sea.
The migrants, trying to sneak into a Greek island, had to take shelter overnight on Yumurta island in Turkey's western Balikesir province due to bad weather, the coast guard said in a statement posted on its website.
The force launched a rescue operation at around 4:00 a.m. local time after one migrant called the emergency service for help, the statement said.
The coast guard teams have rescued all the refugees, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.
The Aegean Sea was a favorite route for migrants fleeing into Europe via Turkey. A deal signed between Turkey and the European Union in March 2016 has helped reduce the flow of illegal migration.
A total of 23,584 migrants have attempted to reach the Greek islands via Turkey this year, up from 19,732 over the same period in 2017, according to figures released by the Turkish coast guard.
