EU-Turkey migration deal is ‘dead,’ warns Greek PM

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday said a landmark EU-Turkey agreement to curb irregular migration to the bloc had effectively collapsed.

«Right now, let’s be honest, the agreement is dead,» Mitsotakis told US broadcaster CNN. «And it’s dead because Turkey has decided to completely violate the agreement because of what happened in Syria.»

Tensions have risen at the Greek-Turkish land border after tens of thousands of migrants gathered there in the hopes of crossing into the EU. But European officials have accused Turkey of enabling people’s attempts to cross the border illegally.

«They have systematically assisted, both at land and at sea, people in their effort to cross into Greece,» said Mitsotakis. «Europe is not going to be blackmailed over this problem by Turkey.»

Read more: ‘We have no other choice’: Afghans stranded at Greece’s gates

Earlier on Friday, EU foreign minister met to express their «full solidarity with Greece,» saying the country faces «an unprecedented situation.»

«The situation at the EU external border is not acceptable. The EU and its Member States remain determined to effectively protect the EU’s external borders. Illegal crossings will not be tolerated,» said the Foreign Affairs Council in a statement released after the meeting.

• 

  How did Europe’s refugee crisis start?

  Fleeing war and poverty

  In late 2014, with the war in Syria approaching its fourth year and Islamic State making gains in the north of the country, the exodus of Syrians intensified. At the same time, others were fleeing violence and poverty in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia, Niger and Kosovo.

• 

  How did Europe’s refugee crisis start?

  Seeking refuge over the border

  Vast numbers of Syrian refugees had been gathering in border-town camps in neighboring Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan since 2011. By 2015, with the camps full to bursting and residents often unable to find work or educate their children, more and more people decided to seek asylum further afield.

• 

  How did Europe’s refugee crisis start?

  A long journey on foot

  In 2015 an estimated 1.5 million people made their way on foot from Greece towards western Europe via the «Balkan route». The Schengen Agreement, which allows passport-free travel within much of the EU, was called into question as refugees headed towards the wealthier European nations.

• 

  How did Europe’s refugee crisis start?

  Desperate sea crossings

  Tens of thousands of refugees were also attempting the perilous journey across the Mediterranean on overcrowded boats. In April 2015, 800 people of various nationalities drowned when a boat traveling from Libya capsized off the Italian coast. This was to be just one of many similar tragedies — by the end of the year, nearly 4,000 refugees were reported to have died attempting the crossing.

• 

  How did Europe’s refugee crisis start?

  Pressure on the borders

  Countries along the EU’s external border struggled to cope with the sheer number of arrivals. Fences were erected in Hungary, Slovenia, Macedonia and Austria. Asylum laws were tightened and several Schengen area countries introduced temporary border controls.

• 

  How did Europe’s refugee crisis start?

  Closing the open door

  Critics of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s «open-door» refugee policy claimed it had made the situation worse by encouraging more people to embark on the dangerous journey to Europe. By September 2016, Germany had also introduced temporary checks on its border with Austria.

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  How did Europe’s refugee crisis start?

  Striking a deal with Turkey

  In early 2016, the EU and Turkey signed an agreement under which refugees arriving in Greece could be sent back to Turkey. The deal has been criticized by human rights groups and came under new strain following a vote by the European Parliament in November to freeze talks on Turkey’s potential accession to the EU.

• 

  How did Europe’s refugee crisis start?

  No end in sight

  With anti-immigration sentiment in Europe growing, governments are still struggling to reach a consensus on how to handle the continuing refugee crisis. Attempts to introduce quotas for the distribution of refugees among EU member states have largely failed. Conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere show no signs coming to an end, and the death toll from refugee sea crossings is on the rise.

  Author: Rachel Stewart

Turkey requests new deal

In 2016, the EU made a deal with Turkey that effectively closed the so-called Balkan route, once considered the main pathway for hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing war in Syria.

In exchange for keeping people from crossing into Greece, the EU offered Turkey €6 billion ($6.8 billion) along with trade and travel incentives as part of the deal.

But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday that the EU-Turkey deal needed to be revised because the terms of the agreement were no longer effective, according to a statement from his office.

Read more: Are Germany and the EU prepared for a new influx of refugees?

Coastguard intervenes

Shortly after Erdogan’s statement, the Turkish coast guard said they were instructed to prevent migrants from attempting to cross the Aegean Sea to Greece, citing unsafe conditions.

«While the principle of not intervening with the illegal migrants wanting to leave Turkey remains to be implemented, such an approach does not cover sea crossings due to life-threatening danger,» the coast guard said, citing a Turkish presidential order.

Meanwhile, at the land border, journalists were purportedly prevented from approaching the area where migrants have congregated at the Greek-Turkish land border, according to DW correspondent Julia Hahn.

«There are some reports suggested that the [Turkish] soldiers there are encouraging the refugees or migrants maybe to use violence to demand passage to Europe,» Hahn said. «The people we talked to also told us that although they have some access to food and drinks, the temperatures here are particularly difficult.»

«The also told us that there are still thousands there waiting to cross into the European Union.»

Read more: Opinion: Europe has lost its soul at the border

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ls/sms (AFP, Reuters, dpa)

To read the article in English. Deutsche Welle Europe