Ghanaian illegal migrants detained in Turkey

ISTANBUL, Turkey - Paramilitary police have detained 139 suspected illegal migrants in western Turkey; five Ghanaians were among those detained.

Paramilitary police in the province of Edirne, detained the migrants during the past two days, in separate operations. The migrants were planning to enter Greece illegally the Anatolia news agency reported.

Most of the detained migrants were from Iraq, but the group included people from Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Morocco, Somalia, Tunisia, Ghana, Turkey and Palestinians, according to the agency.

Each year thousands of migrants, mostly from Asia and the Middle East, pass through Turkey on their way to western Europe.

The European Union, which Turkey seeks to join, is pressuring Turkey to crack down on illegal migration.