TURKEY-GREECE RELATIONS

Foreign Ministry statement on ‘push-backs of asylum seekers by Greece’

“We call on the Government of Greece and all sides involved to bring an end to this practice, as well as inhumane treatments and human rights violations, which are prohibited by international law, the EU Law and the 18 March Statement,” says Turkey.

İstanbul

Foreign Ministry statement on ‘push-backs of asylum seekers by Greece’

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

Click to read the article in Turkish

Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released a statement indicating that 64 asylum-seekers/ migrants were "pushed back" by Greece to Turkey in the last 10 days. Saying that three separate "push-backs" occured on February 23-24 and February 18, the Ministry has said:

"In two separate incidents on 23 and 24 February, asylum-seekers/migrants including women and children were battered by Greek Security Forces and left to die in despair after they were taken to an islet on the Meriç/Evros river via boats upon stealing their phones, money, valuables and shoes. Our border units rescued from death twenty-two asylum-seekers/migrants on 23 February and twenty-nine asylum-seekers/migrants on 24 February.

"Interviews with pushed-back persons have revealed that some of them were foreigners who came to Greece via Serbia and Bulgaria and were pushed back to our country.

"Furthermore, on 18 February 2021, Greek Security Forces took an Afghan asylum-seekers group of thirteen people, including women and children, from the refugee camp in Lesbos with the excuse of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) testing and pushed them back to Turkey after beating them up and taking their valuables and money.

"Push-backs and unlawful practices that Greece has been carrying out in a systematic policy -where in some cases the EU Border and Coast Guard Agency/FRONTEX has also been involved- have been continuing for years. In the last four years, more than eighty thousand asylum-seekers were pushed back to our country.

"We call upon the Government of Greece and all sides involved in push-backs to bring to an end to this practice, as well as inhumane treatments and human rights violations, which are prohibited by international law, the EU Law and the 18 March Statement.

"We also invite the European Union to observe, on the basis of human dignity, the implementation of the EU law and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in member States."

What does the March 18 Agreement stipulate?

1) All new irregular migrants crossing from Turkey into Greek islands as from 20 March 2016 will be returned to Turkey. This will take place in full accordance with EU and international law, thus excluding any kind of collective expulsion. All migrants will be protected in accordance with the relevant international standards and in respect of the principle of non-refoulement. It will be a temporary and extraordinary measure which is necessary to end the human suffering and restore public order. Migrants arriving in the Greek islands will be duly registered and any application for asylum will be processed individually by the Greek authorities in accordance with the Asylum Procedures Directive, in cooperation with UNHCR. Migrants not applying for asylum or whose application has been found unfounded or inadmissible in accordance with the said directive will be returned to Turkey. Turkey and Greece, assisted by EU institutions and agencies, will take the necessary steps and agree any necessary bilateral arrangements, including the presence of Turkish officials onGreek islands and Greek officials in Turkey as from 20 March 2016, to ensure liaison and thereby facilitate the smooth functioning of these arrangements. The costs of the return operations of irregular migrants will be covered by the EU.

2) For every Syrian being returned to Turkey from Greek islands, another Syrian will be resettled from Turkey to the EU taking into account the UN Vulnerability Criteria. A mechanism will be established, with the assistance of the Commission, EU agencies and other Member States, as well as the UNHCR, to ensure that this principle will be implemented as of the same day the returns start. Priority will be given to migrants who have not previously entered or tried to enter the EU irregularly. On the EU side, resettlement under this mechanism will take place, in the first instance, by honouring the commitments taken by Member States in the conclusions of Representatives of the Governments of Member States meeting within the Council on 20 July 2015, of which 18.000 places for resettlement remain. Any further need for resettlement will be carried out through a similar voluntary arrangement up to a limit of an additional 54.000 persons. The Members of the European Council welcome the Commission's intention to propose an amendment to the relocation decision of 22 September 2015 to allow for any resettlement commitment undertaken in the framework of this arrangement to be offset from non-allocated places under the decision. Should these arrangements not meet the objective of ending the irregular migration and the number of returns come close to the numbers provided for above, this mechanism will be reviewed. Should the number of returns exceed the numbers provided for above, this mechanism will be discontinued.

3) Turkey will take any necessary measures to prevent new sea or land routes for illegal migration opening from Turkey to the EU, and will cooperate with neighbouring states as well as the EU to this effect.

4) Once irregular crossings between Turkey and the EU are ending or at least have been substantially and sustainably reduced, a Voluntary Humanitarian Admission Scheme will be activated. EU Member States will contribute on a voluntary basis to this scheme.

(DŞ/SD)