E.U. Aims to Revise Proposed Migrants Deal With Turkey
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Version 0 of 1. BRUSSELS — European Union authorities sought on Wednesday to alter the terms of a provisional agreement brokered by Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany to curb the flow of migrants and refugees streaming into Europe through Turkey. The revised proposals were put forward by Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, on the eve of a two-day meeting that was supposed to be the deadline for signing a deal with Turkey to ease the bloc’s migration crisis. Under the deal backed by Ms. Merkel, Turkey would get visa-free travel to much of Europe for its citizens by the summer, accelerated prospects for joining the European Union and more financing to support the nearly three million refugees inside Turkey. In return, Turkey would effectively guard Europe’s eastern shores and take back all migrants who enter Greece using clandestine routes. In addition, for each Syrian sent back, the European Union would resettle a Syrian refugee from Turkey. Yet the last European Union meeting 10 days ago ended in disarray because the leaders would not consent to the deal. Mr. Tusk’s revised proposals, which were discussed by representatives of the union’s governments on Wednesday, kept much of the plan put forward by Ms. Merkel intact. But Mr. Tusk, who represents the bloc’s 28 national leaders, backed important modifications in a bid to tamp down a wave of complaints from human rights groups about the risk of forcible returns of Syrians as a result of that arrangement. Mr. Tusk also appeared to side with Cyprus, which had reacted furiously to the prospect that Ms. Merkel’s agreement would immediately resume negotiations on European Union membership for Turkey, which has occupied the northern half of Cyprus since 1974. Turkey was prepared to make “a commitment that migrants returned to Turkey would be protected in accordance with the international standards concerning the treatment of refugees” while Greece would “ensure that migrants already on the Greek islands would be transferred to reception centers on the Greek mainland,” according to the proposals, which are subject to change before a final agreement with Turkey this week. Mr. Tusk, a former prime minister of Poland, also sought to reassure countries like Bulgaria and Italy that they would not be left exposed to waves of migrants seeking alternatives to Greece to reach other European Union countries. “Turkey will take any necessary measures to prevent new sea or land routes for illegal migration opening from Turkey to the E.U.,” the revised proposals said. But in a letter published Wednesday, Mr. Tusk warned leaders before the summit meeting that there still could be no guarantee of success. “The catalog of issues to be resolved before we can conclude an agreement is long,” he wrote. With weather conditions improving, journeys to Europe could soon surge and deaths increase on the maritime route to Greece from Turkey across the Aegean Sea. That has raised the pressure on leaders to discourage migrants from taking clandestine routes to Europe. But the terms of the arrangement Ms. Merkel struck with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu of Turkey incensed some European states. President Nicos Anastasiades of Cyprus suggested this week that allowing Turkey to resume union membership talks was tantamount to sacrificing his nation’s interests for the short-term gain of bigger member states like Germany. Mr. Anastasiades threatened to veto the deal. The Hungarian government this week reiterated its opposition to Ms. Merkel’s approach, suggesting that it was naïve to rely on Turkey to guard European borders, partly because migratory routes can shift — and have. Hungary is also vehemently opposed to plans to offer refugees from camps in Syria resettlement in Europe. Even so, Mr. Tusk’s revised proposals maintained the pledge to resettle one Syrian from a camp in Turkey in exchange for each Syrian who used an irregular route, like crossing the Aegean Sea, to reach Greece. The deal also would still give up about $6.6 billion in aid to help organizations look after the nearly three million migrants already in Turkey. |