EU Parl't Urges Brussels to 'Immediately Stop' Returning Migrants to Turkey

The European Parliament's subcommittee on human rights urged the European Union on Monday to immediately cease all refugee and migrant transfers to Turkey due to the lack of legal and humanitarian safeguards.

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — Valenciano stressed that the scheme included a number of points of "huge concern," particularly the definition of Turkey as a safe country.

"The EU should immediately stop all transfers to Turkey until all legal and humanitarian safeguards are effectively guaranteed. How far will the EU go in its decision to put border security ahead of lives and rights?" Elena Valenciano, chair of the subcommittee, said in a statement.

In March, Brussels and Ankara worked out a deal under which Turkey pledged to take back all undocumented migrants who arrive to the European Union through its territory in exchange for asylum seekers from Syria.

In return, the European Union pledged to provide a total of 3 billion euros (over $3.3 billion) to Turkey to help it provide for the refugees there, with a further 3 billion-euro provision possible, as well promising to accelerate Ankara's EU accession bid and introduce a visa-free regime between Turkey and Europe.