ANKARA (Xinhua) – Turkey has repatriated a total of 18,256 Afghans to their homeland since flights to Afghanistan were resumed on Jan. 27, the Turkish Interior Ministry says. The total number of migrants sent to their country since the beginning of this year has reached 34,112, the ministry said in a statement. A total of 24,344 foreigners of 89 nationalities are under administrative detention for deportation. Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the illegal crossings into Turkish territory have been on the rise. Turkey has been a key transit point for migrants who aim to cross to Europe.