Many relief agencies — including Médecins Sans Frontières, the International Rescue Committee, the Norwegian Refugee Council, Save the Children and Red Cross — have joined the UN refugee agency UNHCR in saying the EU-Turkey deal is either immoral or illegal as the 'hotspots' have become detention centers. They also say Turkey is not a 'safe country' for migrants to be returned to, under the Geneva Convention.
#EUTurkey deal up for a debate at #EPlenary with @eucopresident and @JunckerEU. Live https://t.co/7xWhmoHjxG pic.twitter.com/1EjdUeoOYZ
— European Parliament (@Europarl_EN) 13 April 2016
Under the deal, migrants arriving in Greece after March 20 are being processed in 'hotspots' from where those which are deemed "irregular — not meeting the requirements for asylum — are dispatched back to Turkey in return — on a one-for-one basis — for a Syrian refugee being relocated from Turkey to EU member states. The deal includes an agreement that all Turks will be allowed visa-free access to EU members states by June 2016.
In January EU had no more than 2 months to save Schengen. We have used the last two months as best we could
— Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) April 13, 2016
No ideal 100% effective solution exists to migration crisis. We are faced with perpetual, tenuous & multi-dimensional effort
— Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) April 13, 2016
To be true Europeans we need to remain open, tolerant yet at same time tough, effective. Read my full EP speech https://t.co/75WDBkYvpN
— Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) April 13, 2016
Addressing both Juncker and Tusk in the European Parliament, Guy Verhofstadt, the former Belgian prime minister and the leader of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, said: "[Turkish President] Mr Erdogan has said that he will call off the agreement that he has made with you if he has not — within two months — the visa liberalization he requested.
"It's clear that we have put ourselves in the hands of Erdogan and of his government. I have more and more the impression that Erdogan is using poor refugees as a political weapon. That is what is happening," he said.
"In Turkey, they need to change their legislation to lift all the territorial restrictions under the Geneva Convention and to make it possible that Syrian refugees can have asylum in Turkey. They haven't done it and they refuse to do it.
"Moreover, there are reports from Amnesty International stating that Turkey is sending Syrian refugees back to Syria against international law. My question to you Mr. Tusk is: 'why are you not examining this? Is this true? And if this is true, can we continue with the deal that is against international law and against our obligations? What are you doing?' " Verhofstadt added.
'This Place Won't Survive'
"All eyes are on this Turkish deal. And I think what we see is the bosses of the EU bowing and scraping before Mr Erdogan, who gleefully walks all over you, tramples over human rights at every level," UK Independence Party (Ukip) lawmaker Nigel Farage said.
'@David_Cameron supports visa-free access to Europe for 77 million Turks & EU membership for Turkey. Those who don't must vote to Leave EU.
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) 21 March 2016
"And for Mr Juncker to tell us this morning that we are making progress… let's just examine that. 1.8 million people have come to the EU in the last 18 months and we've sent back 300 — doesn't sound, sir, like it's going very well to me.
"The one group that will be pleased, though, are [Daesh, also known as ISIL]. They have now managed to put 5,000 of their operatives on the European continent, according to the boss of Europol, something that should send a shiver down our collective spines. I think that, in the end, is what the British referendum [on EU membership on June 23] will turn on. I think we will vote for Brexit and the reason is we will vote to put our own safety first.
"It is going to be — as it was in the Netherlands [referendum on Ukrainian accession to the EU] last week — a battle of the people versus the politicians. You may have the big money, the big businesses and Goldman Sachs, but we're got our armies of bloggers. And in the end, the peoples' will is going to prevail. This place won't survive," said Farage.
