EU-Ankara Deal: First Group of Migrants Arrives in Turkey From Greece

The first vessels with undocumented migrants arrived in the western Turkish town of Dikili from Greece on Monday within the framework of the agreement between Ankara and Brussels on migrant exchange, local media reported.

ANKARA (Sputnik) — According to Turkey's NTV television channel, some 130 migrants mostly from Pakistan and Bangladesh arrived in Dikili on board of Nazli Jale and Lesvos vessels.

Earlier in the day, the Ankara-Brussels agreement on returning of undocumented migrants in exchange for Syrian refugees on a one-for-one basis came into force.

The migrants, who had been accompanied by the specialists from the EU border agency Frontex, would be relocated from Dikili to other Turkish regions, the broadcaster reported.

Earlier in March, Brussels and Ankara worked out and agreed on a deal under which Turkey pledged to take back all undocumented migrants that had arrived to the European Union in exchange for the asylum seekers from Syria. In return, the European Union pledged to provide a total of 3 billion euros (over $3.3 billion) to Turkey for dealing with refugees, with a possible further 3 billion-euro provision, accelerate Ankara's EU accession process and introduce a visa-free regime between Turkey and Europe.

Europe has been beset by a massive refugee crisis, with hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants fleeing their home countries in the Middle East and North Africa to escape violence and poverty. The majority of them arrive through the Turkish territory.