Evacuate the islands - EU-Turkey 2.0

How the EU and Turkey must cooperate in their mutual interest

The EU-Turkey statement has drastically brought down numbers of people trying to cross the Aegean and thereby also numbers of people drowning. But its key provisions are not implemented. What is needed are decent reception conditions on the Greek islands, quick procedures meeting European standards, more returns to Turkey and a related monitoring-mechanism. EU member states should also make good on the promise to resettle considerable numbers of refugees directly from Turkey on a voluntary basis.

The EU-Turkey statement has drastically brought down numbers of people trying to cross the Aegean and thereby also numbers of people drowning. But its key provisions are not implemented. What is needed are decent reception conditions on the Greek…

A girl tries to protect herself from the rain at a makeshift camp for refugees and migrants next to the Moria camp during a rainfall, on the island of Lesbos. Photo: REUTERS / Giorgos Moutafis - stock.adobe.com