The European Union declared on March 5, that it won’t open the borders for the migrants coming from Turkey, calling on Turkey to close its borders with Greece.
This comes after Turkey’s announcement that it won’t close the borders for refugees.
Ankara blackmails EU with refugees and plays on the Syrian crisis, while Greek authorities clarified that most of the migrants coming from Turkey are Afghans and Africans, whereas the minority are Syrians.
“Turkey should pull migrants back from the Greek border,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Monday at a press conference.
“A solution to this situation requires easing pressure on the borders,” the EU official added, highlighting the urgent need to ensure granting asylum to migrants, and supporting Turkey and Greece, in addition to transferring people, especially minors, stranded on the Greek islands in Europe.
Earlier this month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on the EU to shoulder more of the refugees’ burden, accusing EU of failing to meet its obligations, including paying Turkey the financial support promised to get under a European-Turkish agreement in 2016, which aimed at stopping refugees influx to Europe.
However, the EU says it will pay.
Thousands of migrants gathered on Turkey’s land borders with Greece – the member state in the European Union_ following an announcement by Erdogan’s government that it will not prevent migrants from crossing into EU.
It’s noteworthy that Turkey hosts more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees.
Erdogan is expected to head for Brussels today, Monday, for talks with EU officials amid a dispute between Ankara and EU over sharing responsibility for refugees and emigrants.
Erdogan will meet President of the European Council, Charles Michel and President of EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen to discuss the 2016 agreement.
He will also meet the NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, Turkish presidency office said.
The 2016 agreement, which reduced the number of migrants arriving in Europe, states that Turkey must stop migrants flow in exchange for getting €6 billion, worth of US$6.7 billion, in aid to Syrian refugees in Turkey, in addition to accelerating the course of Turkey’s membership to the EU, and Turkish citizens to travel to EU without visas.
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