Europe and Turkey agree one-in, one-out deal to staunch flow of refugees

The leaders of the 28 EU countries and Turkey have reached a landmark deal aimed at halting illegal migration to Europe. Under the agreement, new migrants arriving in Greece from Sunday will be sent back to Turkey if they don’t qualify for asylum. However, in the controversial “one in, one out” deal, for every person that Turkey accepts, the EU will resettle one Syrian refugee. There is a target figure of 72,000 Syrians to be distributed among European states.

Agreement with Turkey approved. All illegal migrants who arrive to Greece from Turkey starting March 20 will be returned!

Czech prime minister Bohuslav Sobotka

Europe is counting on the agreement to curb an unprecedented wave of migrants, 1.2 million of whom have arrived since the start of 2015, fuelled by the war in Syria. Turkey will exact a heavy price, including billions of euros in aid and accelerated entry to the European Union, despite concerns about its human rights record. After the deal was finalised at talks in Brussels, Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu called it “an historic day”. But doubts remain about whether it’s enforceable in law and whether migrants determined to make the dangerous sea crossing into Europe will take any notice any way.

For Turkey, the refugee issue is not an issue of bargaining but an issue of values, humanitarian values as well as European values

Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu

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