P. Kingsley: Greece sidelines officials who blocked expulsion of refugees to Turkey

17 juni 2016 – The Greek government has sidelined members of an independent authority that had blocked the deportation of Syrian refugees, following sustained pressure from other European countries. Greek MPs voted on Thursday to change the composition of the country’s asylum appeals board, in an attempt to sideline officials who…

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L. Dearden: The Lesbos refugee detention center

15 april 2016 – The Independent journalist Lizzie Dearden reports on the appaling conditions in which 2,900 refugees have to live in Moria, Lesbos. The refugee camp at Moria was turned into a detention centre as part of the EU-Turkey deal and from that moment the situation deteriorated substantially. Pope’s visit led to last-minute improvements, but as…

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H. Smith: Greece on brink of chaos as refugees riot

 3 april 2016 – The Greek government is bracing itself for violence ahead of the European Union implementing a landmark deal that, from Monday, will see Syrian refugees and migrants being deported back to Turkey en masse.  Rioting and rebellion by thousands of entrapped refugees across Greece has triggered mounting fears in…

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AP: Greece pauses deportations as asylum claims mount

5 april 2016 – The Associated Press (AP) reports that Greek authorities have temporarily suspended deportations to Turkey. They acknowledged that most migrants and refugees detained on Greek islands have applied for asylum. The European Union began sending back migrants Monday under an agreement with Turkey, but no transfers were planned…

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D. Gayle: EU-Turkey refugee plan could be illegal

2 april 2016 – Guardian journalist Damien Gayle reports on the EU-Turkey deal. Peter Sutherland, the UN secretary general’s special representative for international migration and development, said that deporting migrants and refugees without considering their asylum applications first would break international law. Read the complete article at: theguardian.com Source: Damien Gayle,…

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M. Frassoni & R. Bütikofer: Declaration on the EU-Turkey Statement

19 maart 2016 – The two co-chairs of the European Green Party, Monica Frassoni and Reinhard Bütikofer, condemn the EU-Turkey deal of March 18, as “it opens the way for a substantial disapplication in the EU of the individual right to asylum of people who are legally entitled to it.” They…

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HRW: Humanitarian Crisis at Athens Port

24 maart 2016 –  “Pregnant women, people with disabilities, and young children in particular are stuck in limbo without dignity or hope,” said Eva Cossé, Greece specialist at Human Rights Watch. “The suffering in Piraeus is a direct consequence of Europe’s failure to respond in a legal and compassionate way to…

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Het EU-Turkije akkoord en ‘de verborgen gebreken’

19 en 20 maart 2016 – Op de negentiende maart is om middernacht het moeizame akkoord met Turkije over de vluchtelingenproblematiek in werking getreden. Vroeg in de ochtend van twintig maart stuurde Turkije nog 875 vluchtelingen naar de eilanden, gevolgd door nieuwe aankomsten op zondagavond. Daarmee komt, vandaag, twintig maart, de dag waarop de overeenkomst met Turkije in werking…

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