Greek police nab 2 truck drivers smuggling in 20 migrants

THESSALONIKI, Greece – Greek police say they have arrested a Turkish truck driver and a Bulgarian truck driver who were carrying a total of 20 migrants near Greece’s northeastern land border with Turkey.

Police say Saturday that the Turkish driver was carrying eight Pakistanis, one Iraqi and one Syrian and the Bulgarian truck driver arrested Friday was carrying 10 Pakistani men.

Police say the number of undocumented migrants arrested crossing the land border from Turkey averages about 400 per month but they are expecting an increase as the weather improves.

Migrants crossing the Greek-Turkey land border are not covered by the EU-Turkey agreement on refugees, which sends refugees back to Turkey. Those admitted in Greece as refugees, mostly from Syria and Iraq, are processed for resettlement, while others such as the Pakistanis are expelled.