"Stress, nightmares and no future": this is the impact of Greece’s latest twist in migration policy on one young Afghan asylum seeker. A new law passed in June means thousands like her could be left without a home or status, or held in detention as they wait to be sent back to Turkey.
Diplomats say the European Commission will propose handing an extra €3.5 billion to help Turkey host Syrian refugees over the next three years. A 2016 migration deal drew stinging criticism from human rights groups.
Greece's decision to consider Turkey a safe third country is "unacceptable," 38 humanitarian organizations have argued in a letter to the Greek government and the European Union. Greece recently declared Turkey safe for asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Greece aims to send back asylum seekers from Somalia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria and Bangladesh who arrive from Turkey. The government says they are not in danger in Turkey and have no need of protection in Europe.
The month of March 2021 marked the fifth anniversary of a refugee deal between Turkey and the European Union. The agreement saw Ankara agree to stem a mass exodus of refugees and migrants to Europe in exchange for monetary aid. But the future of that controversial agreement is now in question. EU chiefs Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen will travel to Turkey next week for a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The UN refugee agency UNHCR says it has observed "several hundred cases" of suspected pushbacks in the Aegean Sea since the beginning of last year. It is stepping up pressure on Greece to investigate the reports.
EU leaders have agreed to extend a 2016 agreement with Turkey aimed at preventing migrants from reaching Europe. The German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the controversial deal has "proven its worth."
After the COVID-19 pandemic many more migrants and refugees will try to reach Europe, according to the head of the EU border agency, Frontex. Fabrice Leggeri also says Frontex "stands ready" to resume migrant returns to Turkey.
In the five years since an agreement was brought in between the EU and Turkey, some 28,621 Syrian refugees have been relocated to EU countries from Turkish camps. NGOs continue to criticize the accord.
Five years ago, the migration deal between the European Union and Turkey was signed. The deal has trapped migrants and refugees on the Greek islands, exacerbating mental health issues and re-traumatizing many, says NGO Intersos.
It’s been five years since the EU announced a migration deal with Turkey that many NGOs have said amounts to the bloc outsourcing its migration management.
The EU high representative for foreign affairs, Josep Borrell, has declared that a migrant deal between Europe and Turkey remains valid. He said the accord reached five years ago has produced "tangible results."