Turkey reveals people smuggling figures

The Turkish Government says just under 350,000 people have been stopped in Turkey over the last six years as they tried to use the country as an illegal transit route to the European Union.

The Interior Ministry said 2,500 people were arrested for people-smuggling and just over 45,000 were stopped at Turkey's borders.

A police spokesman said Turkey did its best to fight people-smuggling.

Britain and Spain have said that the EU's borders are too porous and countries like Turkey might have to be punished if they don't tighten their controls.

A BBC correspondent in Istanbul says Turkey is attractive to smugglers because of its proximity to the Mediterranean and the Aegean Seas.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service