ANKARA, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 300,000 Syrians have returned to their homes after Turkish operations conducted in northern Syria, Turkish interior minister was quoted as saying on Saturday.

The number of Syrians who returned to their country after the "Euphrates Shield" and "Olive Branch" operations is 291,790, Suleyman Soylu said at an international migration meeting, according to state-run Anadolu Agency.

Soylu said more than 250,000 illegal immigrants had been caught in Turkey since this year, adding that Turkish coast guards and security forces will continue to prevent illegal crossing efficiently.

According to Turkish immigration authority, Turkey hosts about 3.5 million Syrian refugees, more than any other country in the world, consequently under the pressure of heavy costs estimated at 30 billion U.S. dollars since 2011.

Since 2016, Turkey has carried out "Euphrates Shield" and "Olive Branch" operations in northern Syria to clean Kurdish militias and Islamic State extremists along the border.