There has been a slight rise in the number of Syrian refugees in Turkey, according to the Turkish migration authorities. The city of Istanbul alone hosts more than half a million Syrian exiles.
The Afghan diaspora in Turkey live in fear: xenophobic sentiments are at an all-time high, as migrants are being blamed for many of the country's woes. And politicians are trying to cash in on those popular sentiments.
Anti-migrant sentiments in Turkey are high once more, as there are increasing reports of a refugee wave from Afghanistan about to hit the country. Locals say they have enough to worry about already.
Turkey’s president Erdogan has warned that his country will not become a 'refugee warehouse' for Afghans fleeing the Taliban. Turkey is already host to millions of refugees.
Greece has once again blamed Turkey for "violating its obligations" after rescuing 10 migrants from a capsized vessel in the Aegean Sea on Friday that - says Greek Migration Minister - "was allowed to depart from Turkish territorial waters."
Frontex is resorting to cutting-edge technology to stop people smugglers from getting migrants into Greece. There are fears, however, that this will drive migrants into resorting to using the more dangerous Aegean Sea route.
Urging the EU to push Turkey to stick to its obligations under a 2016 refugee deal, Greece has requested the immediate return to Turkey of almost 2.000 migrants living in camps on the Greek Aegean Islands. Turkey continues to refuse to take back rejected asylum seekers.
"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.