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Migrants: Amnesty, EU-Turkey accord 'shameful mark'
'Accord a year ago caused suffering of thousands of refugees'
17 March, 11:41
(ANSA) - ROME - On the eve of the first anniversary of the
agreement between the European Union and Turkey, which was
signed on March 18, 2016 and came into effect two days later,
Amnesty International spoke about a ''shameful mark on the
collective conscience of Europe'', which has caused the
suffering of thousands of migrants and refugees.
The agreement, aimed at sending back to Turkey asylum seekers and based on the premise that Turkey is a safe country for them, did not reach the objectives it had set and left thousands of people in squalid and unhealthy conditions on the islands of Greece.
''Today we remember a black day in the history of the protection of refugees: a day in which European leaders tried not to fulfill their international obligations, ignoring the cost that it would have in terms of human misery'', said John Dalhuisen, director of Amnesty for Europe.
''A year ago, the Greek islands were transformed in temporary camps and European coasts turned from a haven to a dangerous place. A year later, thousands of people remain blocked in a risky, desperate and apparently endless limbo'', he added.
Although European leaders continue to pretend that Turkey is a safe country, up until now Greek tribunals have blocked the return of Syrian asylum seekers to Turkey. Amnesty has however reported that some asylum seekers from Syria were forcibly returned to Turkey in a violation of international legislation, without being granted access to asylum procedures and without being able to appeal against the decision. Others returned to Turkey ''voluntarily'' due to the hideous conditions they found on Greek islands. Instead of trying to send back to Turkey asylum seekers and refugees, the EU should cooperate with Greek authorities to urgently transfer asylum seekers inland and examine their cases.
European governments should make places available for them, or legal and safe ways to reach other European countries, for example through humanitarian visas or visas to join their families, concluded Amnesty. (ANSA).
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The agreement, aimed at sending back to Turkey asylum seekers and based on the premise that Turkey is a safe country for them, did not reach the objectives it had set and left thousands of people in squalid and unhealthy conditions on the islands of Greece.
''Today we remember a black day in the history of the protection of refugees: a day in which European leaders tried not to fulfill their international obligations, ignoring the cost that it would have in terms of human misery'', said John Dalhuisen, director of Amnesty for Europe.
''A year ago, the Greek islands were transformed in temporary camps and European coasts turned from a haven to a dangerous place. A year later, thousands of people remain blocked in a risky, desperate and apparently endless limbo'', he added.
Although European leaders continue to pretend that Turkey is a safe country, up until now Greek tribunals have blocked the return of Syrian asylum seekers to Turkey. Amnesty has however reported that some asylum seekers from Syria were forcibly returned to Turkey in a violation of international legislation, without being granted access to asylum procedures and without being able to appeal against the decision. Others returned to Turkey ''voluntarily'' due to the hideous conditions they found on Greek islands. Instead of trying to send back to Turkey asylum seekers and refugees, the EU should cooperate with Greek authorities to urgently transfer asylum seekers inland and examine their cases.
European governments should make places available for them, or legal and safe ways to reach other European countries, for example through humanitarian visas or visas to join their families, concluded Amnesty. (ANSA).
