The first migrants and refugees arrived back in Turkey from the Greek islands of Lesbos and Chios this morning as a part of a new plan to limit migration to Europe.
The migrants and refugees, heading in the opposite direction from what they had hoped, were escorted onto small ferries and taken to ports on the Turkish coast.
One image captures Turkish police escorting deported women as they arrived at the port of Dikili district in Izmir, Turkey.
Another shows some people gathered on a beach in Izmir watching others who were deported from Greece arrive on a small ferry.
The first arrivals were taken to tents for registration and health checks.
Turkey and the European Union agreed last month that migrants who arrive in Greece from Turkey illegally — after March 20 — will be returned to Turkey unless they qualify for asylum. For every Syrian turned back, a Syrian refugee will be sent from Turkey to the E.U.
Today marked the first official day for the transfers.
But some people still fled Turkey for Greece today, hiding in smuggling boats, Greek authorities said, according to The Associated Press. In Turkey refugees risk overcrowding, a lack of resources and the possibility of being sent back to Syria.
Giorgos Kosmopoulos, head of Amnesty International in Greece, told the AP that Turkey is not safe for the refugees, calling this a “dangerous deal.”
“This is the first day of a very difficult time for refugee rights,” Kosmopoulos said. “Despite the serious legal gaps and lack of adequate protection in Turkey, the E.U. is forging ahead with a dangerous deal.”
But Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said police officers should show “compassion” to the migrants returning to Turkey, urging them to not “distinguish them from our own citizens.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
I would think they would be happy in an environment they came from. The foods will be familiar, no languages barriers, they know the laws of sharia, can worship in the mosques. It seems like a win!
The UN should be looking for a way to relocate them back to Syria. The UN soldiers can protect them. Build a new city in Sytia, move them home, teach them how to,protect themselves. It will solve the problem. Plus,. destroy Isis and all of the groups like them