Europe began its controversial program of deporting migrants back to Turkey on Monday as part of a larger deal struck by the European Union and Ankara to try to reduce the flow refugees entering the EU by passing through Turkey and into Greece. More than a million migrants attempted the crossing last year alone.
This was the scene on the Greek island of Lesbos Monday (via the New York Times):
In this port on the island of Lesbos, as the sun rose over the Aegean Sea, more than 100 officers from the European border agency, Frontex, marched 136 migrants onto two ferries bound for the Turkish town of Dikili. Once there, the migrants were taken into tents for processing and then loaded onto buses — to where, Turkish officials would not say. An additional 66 migrants were deported from the island of Chios, where riots broke out last week among asylum seekers fearing deportation. In all, Greek officials said those deported were mostly Pakistanis and Afghans, though they also included two Syrians, who had not asked for asylum, the officials said.
“Under a pact criticized by refugee agencies and human rights campaigners, Ankara will take back all migrants and refugees who cross the Aegean to enter Greece illegally, including Syrians,” Reuters reports. “In return, the European Union will take in thousands of Syrian refugees directly from Turkey and reward it with money, visa-free travel and progress in its EU membership negotiations.” Part of agreement states that for each Syrian migrant that is returned to Turkey for not going through official channels into the EU, one Syrian refugee that registers in Turkey will be accepted in Europe. On Monday, the BBC reports, 32 Syrian migrants were flown to Germany.
