EU leaders meet in Brussels today to agree plan with Turkey to take back refugees and migrants
The Refugee Council yesterday called on Prime Minister David Cameron to reject the EU's deal with Turkey for returning refugees and migrants and to instead offer more refugees safe passage to Britain.
Refugee Council Chief Executive Maurice Wren said in a letter that the latest proposals emerging from EU and Turkish leaders represent an extremely worrying backward step in the protection of refugees: "Any deal that involves blanket returns of 'irregular migrants arriving in Greece' is incompatible with EU and international law, violating the right to seek asylum that was established by the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and in complete dereliction of the principle of non refoulement."
Al Jazeera reported that EU leaders are meeting in Brussels today to agree on the ambitious resettlement plan, which would see Turkey take back all refugees and migrants who cross into Europe from its soil in return for more money, faster EU membership talks and quicker visa-free travel for Turkish citizens.
The Refugee Council called the deal "dirty" and said the EU "intends to bribe Turkey with billions of euros and all sorts of other incentives to corral refugees and stop them seeking safety in Europe."
Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth said in a letter on Tuesday that the deal represents "a disturbing disregard for international law covering the rights of refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants."
The letter also drew attention to the deteriorating human rights situation in Turkey, with Roth saying that Human Rights Watch is "deeply concerned that in the interests of securing the Joint Action Plan to stem the flow of refugees and migrants, the EU is willing to turn a blind-eye as Turkey's president cracks down on human rights and dismantles Turkey's democratic framework."
Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR's Europe regional director, was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying: "the collective expulsion of foreigners is prohibited under the European Convention of Human Rights … An agreement that would be tantamount to a blanket return of any foreigners to a third country, is not consistent with European law, is not consistent with international law."
Yesterday European Commission press release with the latest on the deal is available here.
The release states that all returns need to be carried out in line with the refugee protection safeguards that have been put in place in international and EU law, saying: "The return of irregular migrants and asylum seekers whose claims have been declared inadmissible or rejected, an essential component in breaking the pattern of migrants paying smugglers and risking their lives, can only be carried out in respect of European and international law. The arrangements for such returns, both of those in need of international protection, and those who are not, should only be considered as a temporary and extraordinary measure aimed at putting an end to the human suffering resulting from the current significant flows between Turkey and Greece."
"All returns need to be carried out in line with the refugee protection safeguards that have been put in place in international and EU law. This entails that every asylum application is treated individually, respecting the clear legal and procedural parameters set out in the EU Asylum Procedures Directive. There is no question of applying a 'blanket' return policy, which would be contrary to the legal requirements and the fundamental rights of asylum seekers."
The press release notes that modifications would be required in Greece to ensure Turkey is classified a safe third country and in Turkey to ensure access to effective asylum procedures for all persons in need of international protection.
The Refugee Council yesterday called the idea that Turkey is a safe country for returns "ludicrous".
"Turkey solely recognises refugees from Europe. That means that the millions of Syrians, Afghans, Iraqis and other refugees living in Turkey can't fully access the international protection they're entitled to. According to human rights groups, Turkey has been forcibly returning Syrian refugees to Syria, in direct violation of international law. There are also widespread concerns about the deteriorating human rights situation in Turkey," the Refugee Council stated.