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| Migrant crisis: Turkish guards 'hit migrants in boat' | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The BBC has been given a video showing Turkish coast guards using sticks against a boat full of migrants as they sail to Greece in the Aegean Sea. | |
| The incident happened in Turkish waters as the migrants were on their way to the Greek island of Lesbos. | |
| The migrants accused coast guards of attacking them, but the coast guards say they were trying to stop the boat without harming the occupants. | |
| The EU and Turkey are discussing new moves to curb the flow of refugees. | The EU and Turkey are discussing new moves to curb the flow of refugees. |
| Europe is facing its biggest refugee crisis since World War Two. Last year, more than a million people entered the EU illegally by boat, mainly going from Turkey to Greece. | Europe is facing its biggest refugee crisis since World War Two. Last year, more than a million people entered the EU illegally by boat, mainly going from Turkey to Greece. |
| Most of them were Syrian, fleeing the country's four-year civil war. Another 2.7 million Syrian refugees are currently in Turkey, which is struggling to cope with the influx. | Most of them were Syrian, fleeing the country's four-year civil war. Another 2.7 million Syrian refugees are currently in Turkey, which is struggling to cope with the influx. |
| More than 132,000 migrants have arrived by boat into Greece so far this year - a large increase on the same period last year. | More than 132,000 migrants have arrived by boat into Greece so far this year - a large increase on the same period last year. |
| A volunteer who handed the latest video to a BBC correspondent in Lesbos said the incident occurred in Turkish waters opposite the island. | |
| The 30-second clip shows people wearing life jackets on a rubber dinghy being hit with poles by men standing on another vessel. The people being hit shout out in Farsi and Arabic. | |
| The boat of migrants eventually moved away and made it to Lesbos. A Turkish coast guard official later confirmed the incident, but said the officers had been trying to stop the engine "without harming the refugees". | |
| He said the standard procedure was to tie migrant vessels to a coast guard boat and bring it back to Turkey, "but this boat of refugees didn't stop the engine and continued on to Greece," he added. | |
| Our correspondent says he has heard of similar incidents involving other migrants. | Our correspondent says he has heard of similar incidents involving other migrants. |
| Read more about the migrant crisis | Read more about the migrant crisis |
| Under the measures discussed by EU leaders and Turkey on Monday, which still need to be agreed, all migrants arriving in Greece from Turkey would be returned. For each Syrian sent back, a Syrian already in Turkey would be resettled in the EU. | Under the measures discussed by EU leaders and Turkey on Monday, which still need to be agreed, all migrants arriving in Greece from Turkey would be returned. For each Syrian sent back, a Syrian already in Turkey would be resettled in the EU. |
| The EU promised to speed up payment of €3bn ($3.3bn; £2.2bn) promised in October to help Turkey deal with the crisis, with the possibility of additional funding. | The EU promised to speed up payment of €3bn ($3.3bn; £2.2bn) promised in October to help Turkey deal with the crisis, with the possibility of additional funding. |
| Plans to ease access to the EU for Turkish citizens will also be speeded up, with a view to allowing visa-free travel by June. | Plans to ease access to the EU for Turkish citizens will also be speeded up, with a view to allowing visa-free travel by June. |
| Hungary's anti-migration PM Viktor Orban has already indicated he may veto the resettlement deal. | Hungary's anti-migration PM Viktor Orban has already indicated he may veto the resettlement deal. |
| The provisional deal, which has been criticised by the UN refugee agency, will be discussed at another meeting of EU and Turkish leaders in Brussels next week. | The provisional deal, which has been criticised by the UN refugee agency, will be discussed at another meeting of EU and Turkish leaders in Brussels next week. |
| The crisis has led eight EU members to introduce temporary border controls, leading to fears over the future of the Schengen agreement - the deal which allows passport-free travel across 26 member countries. | The crisis has led eight EU members to introduce temporary border controls, leading to fears over the future of the Schengen agreement - the deal which allows passport-free travel across 26 member countries. |
| A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants. | A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants. |