In accordance with a new deal between the E.U. and Turkey, Greece has begun deporting refugees to Turkey, reports Al-Jazeera.
Meanwhile, according to a report issued by Amnesty International, the Turkish government has been forcing Syrian refugees back to Syria. If this is true, Turkey would be violating international law.
Reports differ on whether Syrians were included among the 202 people put on boats and sent to Turkey on April 4. The Turkish governor of Izmir, Mustafa Toprak, said no Syrians were aboard, while Giorgos Kyritsis, a Greek government spokesman, said that “all of the migrants returned are from Pakistan, except for two migrants from Syria who returned voluntarily.”
Human rights groups have criticized the E.U.-Turkey deal that put the deportations in place.
“Turkey is not a safe third country for refugees,” said Giorgos Kosmopoulos, the head of Amnesty International in Greece, according to the Al-Jazeera report.
“The EU and Greek authorities know this and have no excuse.”
Evidence of forced repatriations to Syria would buttress this argument. Nevertheless, European leaders have pledged 6 billion euros ($6.8 billion) in aid to the Turkish government in exchange for their promise to prevent refugees leaving Turkey for Europe.
According to the Amnesty International report, among the refugees forced to return to Syria include three young children without their parents, as well as an eight-month pregnant woman.
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