A first group of migrants were ferried from the Greek islands to Turkey Monday as part of a controversial European Union plan to curb migration to Europe.
Under heavy security, authorities on the Greek islands of Lesbos and Chios put 202 people on boats bound for Turkey — the first to be sent back as part of the plan, which has drawn strong criticism from human rights advocates.
The first vessel arrived later in the Turkish port of Dikili where migrants were taken to red-and-white tents for registration and health checks. About a dozen people stood at the port holding a banner that read “Welcome refugees. Turkey is your home.”
A second vessel was expected soon after. Authorities said most of the people in the first batch are Pakistani nations.
Turkey and the European Union reached a deal last month which stipulates that migrants who reach Greece illegally from Turkey after March 20 will be returned to Turkey unless they qualify for asylum. For every Syrian turned back, a Syrian refugee is to be resettled from Turkey to the EU.
Monday was the designated start date for transfers and marks a symbolic, successful benchmark in the agreement, which has been plagued by concerns over human rights and the adequacy of preparations taken in Greece and Turkey, the primary players in its implementation. The numbers transferred, however, were smaller than initially forecast.
“All of the migrants returned are from Pakistan except two migrants from Syria who returned voluntarily,” Giorgos Kyritsis, a spokesman for a government refugee crisis committee, told state TV.
“There is no timetable for returns. Examining (asylum) applications will take some time.”
About 4,000 migrants and refugees are being detained on Greek islands since the agreement came into effect March 20.
Kyritsis said 136 migrants were deported from Lesbos and 66 from the nearby island of Chios, where riot police clashed with local residents hours earlier during a protest against expulsions.
“This is the first day of a very difficult time for refugee rights. Despite the serious legal gaps and lack of adequate protection in Turkey, the EU is forging ahead with a dangerous deal,” Giorgos Kosmopoulos, head of Amnesty International in Greece, told the Associated Press from Lesbos.
“Turkey is not a safe third country for refugees. The EU and Greek authorities know this and have no excuse.”
The operation was supervised by a lieutenant general of the Greek police and occurred peacefully, as ships departed from Lesbos to the Turkish port of Dikili. The deportations started with migrants who did not apply for asylum or had their applications declared inadmissible.
“Even if this first group is not refugees, what we are seeing here is symbolic kick-off of what might be a very dangerous practice of returns to Turkey,” Kosmopoulos said.
The first vessel, the Nazli Jale, docked in Dikili accompanied by the Turkish coast guard as a helicopter flew overhead. A second ship, the Lesvos, was due later in the morning.
A total of 50,000 migrants and refugees are stranded in Greece following EU and Balkan border closures, but only those who arrived after March 20 will be detained for deportation.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Don’t you love it when they say Turkey is not a safe place for refugees !! The countries the refugees invade are no longer safe for the citizens of said country from the violent out of control muslim refugees who dont appreciate or respect the citizens !!!
As for Europe deporting refugees, if we had a president worth 2cents, we would too. Matter of fact, they’d never be here.
Yep!
AMEN !!!!
I notice at the same time as these refugees are turned back to Turkey, Turkey will ship one to the EU. How will this help? In fact, I think it may be worse as Turkey has become more Islamic every day. They will send the terrorists on the the EU to do more damage. The EU is continuing with it’s foolishness by allowing an Islamic nation to decide who will come to Europe. What a great gift the EU has given it’s beleaguered citizens. More terrorism! The EU has become as corrupt and useless as the UN.
Well its a start. The lying democrats always want to emulate Europe. Well now is your big chance send these mentally deranged murderous Muslims back whence they came. Expeditiously if you please.
Have you ever wondered why the truth is so hard for liberals to see? 99 out of a hundred don’t want joint bathrooms. We don’t want gender issues taught in school. We don’t want to be checked for “depression”. ( although we are all depressed about Obama). We don’t want freeloading Muslims while our veterans die homeless. Our flag is not a political statement -iT IS US! I don’t want ” sex week” allowed at a Tennessee university but the name Jesus is forbidden. The tail is now wagging the dog- how do the 99 percent stop the madness
I am right there with you Socrates. We don’t need Islamic education in our schools.We don’t want people telling us how to speak or think.We don’t want someone telling us what we can consume.
First of all, you fall on your face and repent , then you worship, honor, and praise The Living God, He will do the rest, amen.
The United states SHOULD embark on a similar program.
HOWEVER. Under Obama’s plan to DESTROY America by any means possible, it will NEVER happen.
The Lord can take care of Obama, amen.
Good!!!!! Send them all back including all those illegals who entered the United States of America. And while you’re at it include POTUS and his refugee minions.
All i can say is “It’s about time.”
Personally, i think that all nations that have accepted refugees need to make a law that if ANY Muslim immigrant practices, teaches, or tries to IMPOSE Shar’ia law on ANYONE, they are to be immediately expelled to the nearest country that DOES practice Shar’ia.
If Muslim’s scream “religious persecution,” let ’em. If they squeal “Religious intolerance,” too bad. If they whine “discrimination,” tough noogies. When these countries opened their arms to refugees from war-torn countries, they were being generous; Muslims are taking advantage and trying to take over. When they came to those countries, they agreed to abide by the host country’s laws, NOT to try to impose their OWN. If they don’t like not being able to exercise tyranny, then they can go elsewhere, be tyrannized and exercising tyranny all they like.
Isn’t it telling… about 2 months ago this guy – let’s call him Trump – called for a moratorium on accepting immigrants from the middle east. Didn’t that cause a major sh*t storm from everyone, everywhere? Bitter complaints – “How dare you want to stop this!!…It’s un-American..”
I guess – the leftists will hate this – but… he called that one, too, didn’t he? Send ’em back – get ’em out of here.. Everyone in Europe with 1/2 a brain agrees. Send them home.. what some of us call… NIMBY’s…. Not In My Back Yard…
I personally believe the Nobama women, HRC, Warren, Pelosi and a pot load of other leftist women would look ever so much better wearing a head-to-foot Birka… send them packing on the first boat to no where land…
Trump 2016
I think that these refugees should arm up and go home and fight for their own country.
We in the USA had to fight the British and win our freedom from British rule and tyranny.
Back then they were no more than farmers who armed themselves and fought back!