Greece calls for the resumption of the return of migrants to Turkey

Greece asked the European Commission (EC) and the European Border and Coastal Affairs Agency (Frontex) on Thursday to immediately return 1,450 people without the right to asylum to Turkey, a mechanism in place since 2016 but suspended by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Ministry of Migration. 

The Greek Minister of Migration and Asylum, Notis Mitarakis, said that thanks to the acceleration in recent months of asylum examinations and COVID-19 tests carried out, it is possible to quickly and safely return those migrants, whose application for international protection has been rejected after arriving on Greek soil illegally. 

The return of these people to Turkey is foreseen in the first paragraph of the joint European Union-Turkey declaration, which provides for the return to Turkey of irregular migrants who are not entitled to international protection and enter Greece after 20 March 2016. 

Since then, relations between Greece and Turkey have become considerably strained, mainly because of a conflict over their territorial waters and their exploitation, but also because of migration. 

Last February, Ankara decided to open its borders and announce that all the refugees would be able to pass freely into the EU, which led to a new crisis on the land border with northern Greece and on the Aegean islands.

According to the Greek Ministry of Migration, only 139 returns were made last year, as Turkey suspended the process since March 15 due to the pandemic. 

The declaration, signed almost five years ago, established Turkey's commitment to control the departure of migrants from its coasts and to readmit all those who arrived irregularly in Greece, as well as the EU's commitment to resettle one Syrian citizen from Turkey for each return. 

In addition, financial aid for Turkey was increased and the liberalisation of visas for its citizens was promised to be accelerated. 

Mitarakis said he expected Turkey to redouble its efforts both to prevent boats from leaving its shores and to accept the return of migrants, and said that, in order to protect the European countries of first reception and to fight against the mafias, "Europe needs to establish a common mechanism on this matter in the new pact on migration and asylum". 

Out of the 1,450 people Greece wants to return to Turkey, 995 are on the island of Lesbos, 187 in Kos, 180 in Chios and 128 in Samos.