Migrants sent back from Greece arrive in Turkey

Dikili (Turkey), April 4 

The first migrants deported from Greek islands under a disputed EU-Turkey deal were shipped back to Turkey on Monday in a drive to shut down the main route by which a million people fleeing war and poverty crossed the Aegean Sea in the last year. Under the pact criticised by refugee agencies and human rights campaigners, Ankara will take back all migrants and refugees who enter Greece illegally, including Syrians.

In return, the European Union will take in thousands of Syrian refugees directly from Turkey and reward it with more money, early visa-free travel and progress in its EU membership negotiations. Two Turkish-flagged passenger boats carrying 131 mostly Pakistani migrants arrived from the island of Lesbos in the Turkish town of Dikili early on Monday, accompanied by two Turkish coast guard vessels with a police helicopter buzzing overhead, a Reuters witness said.

A third ship carrying 66 people, mainly Afghans, arrived there later from the island of Chios.

The EU-Turkey deal aims to discourage migrants from perilous crossings, often in small boats and dinghies, and to break the business model of human smugglers who have fuelled Europe's biggest influx since World War Two. EU authorities said none of those deported on Monday had requested asylum in Greece and all had left voluntarily.

"We didn't see this morning unrest or riots. The operation was organised properly with the sufficient Frontex presence and with enough, very well organised security guarantees," European Commission spokesman Margaritas Schinas told a news briefing in Brussels. 

The EU said at the time of the deal that both Athens and Ankara would need to change their asylum laws-Greece to declare Turkey a "safe third country" to which rejected asylum seekers could be sent, and Turkey to give international protection to Syrians who enter from countries other than Syria, and to non-Syrian asylum seekers returned from Greece. Greece has done its part, but Turkey has yet to change its regulations.

Turkish EU Affairs Minister Volkan Bozkir said there were no Syrians in the first group coming from Greece, but that when they did begin to arrive they would be sent to the southern city of Osmaniye, around 40 km from the Syrian border.

For non-Syrians, Turkey would apply to their home countries and send them back systematically, Bozkir said in an interview with Turkish broadcaster Haberturk. — Reuters

Rights groups question EU-Turkey pact

• Rights groups and some European politicians have challenged the legality of the deal, questioning whether Turkey has sufficient safeguards in place to defend refugees' rights and whether it can be considered safe for them
• EU spokesman Schinas said Ankara had provided "assurances" and an amendment to its temporary protection regulation was in the works for Syrians returning from abroad. Turkey insists it is meeting its international obligations
• The EU was determined to get the programme under way on schedule despite such doubts because of strong political pressure in northern Europe to deter migrants from attempting the journey

Desperate migrants continue to cross despite deal

• A few hours after the first boat of returnees set sail from Lesbos, Greek coast guard vessels rescued at least two dinghies carrying more than 50 migrants and refugees, including children and a woman in a wheelchair, trying to reach the island.
• Altogether, more people arrived on the Greek islands in the 24 hours to Monday morning than were transported to Turkey, Greek authorities said, putting total arrivals at 339, including 173 on Lesbos and 73 on Chios.
• "We are just going to try our chance. It is for our destiny. We are dead anyway," said Firaz, 31, a Syrian Kurd from the province of Hasakah who was travelling with his cousin.
• Asked if he was aware that the Greeks were sending people back, he said: "I heard maybe Iranians, Afghans. I didn't hear they were sending back Syrians to Turkey... At least I did what I could. I'm alive. That's it."

About the agreement

Under the scheme agreed with the EU last month, one Syrian refugee will be settled in Europe legally in return for every Syrian migrant taken back by Turkey from EU member Greece, which has faced the largest influx in recent months.

First Syrians arrive in Germany

• The first Syrians arrived in Germany from Istanbul under a controversial EU-Turkey migrant pact, an official from the German federal refugee office said
• The 16 asylum seekers flew into the northern city of Hanover and were to be taken to a shelter about 140 km away. A second group of Syrians was to arrive in Hanover in the soon
• The representative from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, Corinna Wicher, asked reporters to respect the privacy of the asylum seekers, who were members of three families.