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First boats returning migrants and refugees from Greece arrive in Turkey First boats returning migrants and refugees from Greece arrive in Turkey
(about 1 hour later)
Two boats carrying the first migrants to be deported from Greece to Turkey under the EU’s deal with Ankara are waiting to disembark in the Turkish port of Dikili, a few hundred metres from the quayside. Two boats carrying the first migrants to be deported from Greece to Turkey under an EU deal with Ankara have arrived in the Turkish port of Dikili, a few hundred metres from the quayside.
According to Greek sources, the 136 deportees are mainly Pakistanis, who were already being deported to Turkey prior to the deal’s creation – meaning that Monday’s deportation is not a true test of whether the agreement can stop the flow of mainly Syrians, Afghans and Iraqis to Greece. Under the deal, Ankara will take back all migrants and refugees who enter Greece illegally, including Syrians, in return for the EU taking in thousands of Syrian refugees directly from Turkey and rewarding it with more money, early visa-free travel and progress in its EU membership negotiations.
Pictures showed the deportations were carried out in a calm manner at dawn, several hours ahead of schedule, on the Greek island of Lesbos. Officials from the EU border agency Frontex said the boats were carrying 131 deportees, mostly Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Moroccans who were already being deported to Turkey prior to the deal’s creation, meaning that Monday’s deportation is not a true test of whether the agreement can stop the flow of mainly Syrians, Afghans and Iraqis to Greece.
The first boat to moor in Dikili is a chartered Turkish catamaran, the Nazli Jale. Officials from Frontex, the EU border agency, were seen inside the boat wearing masks. Disembarkation was delayed while officials erect a white tarpaulin on the boat to block the view of the media. Eva Moncure, a Frontex spokeswoman, said there were no children on the first two boats. Two Syrians were onboard, including a woman who had volunteered to return.
Migrants deported back to Turkey will be sent to the areas they first registered when they first arrived on Turkish soil, or if they never registered, to a detention camp in southern Turkey, Turkish media is reporting. Pictures showed the deportations were calmly carried out at dawn, several hours ahead of schedule, on the Greek island of Lesbos. Many deportees carried backpacks. None waved to the few photographers gathered on the quay.
The first boat to moor in Dikili is a chartered Turkish catamaran, the Nazli Jale. Frontex officials inside the boat wore masks. Disembarkation was delayed while officials erected a white tarpaulin on the boat to block the media’s view.
Migrants deported to Turkey will be sent to the area in which they first registered their arrival, or if they did not register, to a detention camp in the south of the country, Turkish media reported.
Several registration tents have been erected on the quay at Dikili, where there is a heavy police presence.Several registration tents have been erected on the quay at Dikili, where there is a heavy police presence.
Officials have taken down a huge banner next to the quay that said the citizens of Dikili opposed the dumping of refugees in their seaside town. Local opponents of the deal claim that 4,000 people have signed a petition of complaint. Officials have taken down a huge banner next to the quay that said the citizens of Dikili opposed the refugees’ arrival . Local opponents of the deal claim 4,000 people have signed a petition of complaint.
Related: Greece insists refugee deportations will begin despite doubts over EU-Turkey dealRelated: Greece insists refugee deportations will begin despite doubts over EU-Turkey deal
“Dikili is very small – just 40,000 citizens,” said Emirhan Çekun, as he asked passers-by to sign the petition. “We cannot fit the refugees.” “Dikili is very small – just 40,000 citizens,” said Emirhan Çekun, as he asked passersby to sign the petition. “We cannot fit the refugees.”
A Turkish catamaran was also transporting refugees from Chios, another Greek island near Lesbos, on Monday morning. Officials had not confirmed how many people were on board. A Turkish catamaran was also transporting refugees from Chios, a Greek island near Lesbos, on Monday morning. Officials have not confirmed how many people were on board.
“The procedure was very calm, everything was orderly,” Frontex spokeswoman Ewa Moncure told reporters at Lesbos harbour. Greek authorities took many by surprise deploying buses to pick up the deportees from the Moria detention camp on Lesbos at the crack of dawn. While Monday’s operation appeared to have gone smoothly, it remained far from certain when more would be expelled from the island.
However, a small group of activists protested outside the port chanting “shame on you”. Volunteer rescuers protesting at sea lifted a banner above their vessel which read: “Ferries for safe passage, not for deportation.” “I hate to say this but they were easy cases,” said Moncure. “I really cannot tell you when the next readmission will happen.”
Earlier, buses carrying hundreds of refugees bound for deportation arrived at the ports of Lesbos and Chios. On Lesbos, crews were earlier seen loading supplies onto the ships – a small ferry and a catamaran. The vast majority of the 2,800 detainees in Moria have applied for asylum, which will inevitably delay the process as their requests are examined and heard. Most are Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans.
“What we know is that 90% of [those in] the Moria camps have applied for asylum,” said Lieutenant Zacharia Tsirigoti, who runs the Greek department for refugees.
Protesters – many volunteers who have been on the island for months – held placards deploring what they described as a “dirty deal”. “EU shame on you! No borders, no nations, stop the dirty deportations,” they chanted on the harbour side.
“This is an appalling deal. What we are hearing from authorities is that no one [on the boats] wanted to apply for asylum but the question is how do we know?” said Steffi De Pous, a Dutch volunteer on the island. “These people risked their lives to get here. Were they given the right information? Did they know their rights?”
Volunteers, she said, had decided to go to Moria with megaphones to “let them know what their rights are so that they are not bullied into this process”.
The Turkish interior minister, Efkan Ala has, said his country was ready to receive 500 refugees on Monday and Greek authorities have provided 400 names, although these numbers could change.The Turkish interior minister, Efkan Ala has, said his country was ready to receive 500 refugees on Monday and Greek authorities have provided 400 names, although these numbers could change.
The expulsion is part of a controversial EU deal to send refugees back across the Aegean Sea. The policy has been criticised by rights groups on ethical grounds. The EU-Turkey deal to send refugees back across the Aegean Sea, which has been criticised by rights groups on ethical grounds, was signed in March, as Europe wrestled with the continent’s worst migration crisis since the second world war, with more than one million people arriving last year.
The European Union signed the controversial deal with Turkey in March as it wrestles with the continent’s worst migration crisis since the second world war, with more than one million people arriving last year.
Under the agreement, designed to halt new arrivals along the most popular route through Turkey, all “irregular migrants” arriving since 20 March face being sent back. Each case is meant to be examined individually.Under the agreement, designed to halt new arrivals along the most popular route through Turkey, all “irregular migrants” arriving since 20 March face being sent back. Each case is meant to be examined individually.
For every Syrian refugee returned, another Syrian refugee will be resettled from Turkey to the EU, with numbers capped at 72,000.For every Syrian refugee returned, another Syrian refugee will be resettled from Turkey to the EU, with numbers capped at 72,000.
Police sources on Lesbos on Sunday said there had been a flurry of last-minute asylum applications among the 3,300 migrants there.Police sources on Lesbos on Sunday said there had been a flurry of last-minute asylum applications among the 3,300 migrants there.
“We … have over two thousand people that have stated their wish to seek asylum and we need to see a credible process go ahead with the Greek asylum service for those that wish to express their protection concerns,” said Boris Cheshirkov, the UN refugee agency spokesman on Lesbos.“We … have over two thousand people that have stated their wish to seek asylum and we need to see a credible process go ahead with the Greek asylum service for those that wish to express their protection concerns,” said Boris Cheshirkov, the UN refugee agency spokesman on Lesbos.
Refugees could also be sent back from other islands that have seen a large influx, such as Chios, where members of EU border agency Frontex were seen arriving Sunday.
Total transparency on this EU-Turkey deal. Turks now putting up blue tarp to stop the prying eyes of the press pic.twitter.com/KSYm5zDOSqTotal transparency on this EU-Turkey deal. Turks now putting up blue tarp to stop the prying eyes of the press pic.twitter.com/KSYm5zDOSq
More than 52,000 men, women and children are now stranded in Greece, including 3,300 on Lesbos, following the decisions of Balkan countries to close their borders. More than 52,000 men, women and children are now stranded in Greece following the decisions of Balkan countries to close their borders.
Greek officials have been tight-lipped over who and how many refugees will cross the Aegean Sea back to Turkey. Greek officials have not said which, and how many, refugees will cross the Aegean Sea back to Turkey. Many refugees on the islands have complained of not being given sufficient time and access to the asylum procedure.
But state news agency ANA reported that some 250 people from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and African nations would be sent back daily between Monday and Wednesday. Anas al-Bakhr, a Syrian engineer from Homs who is among those stuck on Chios, said police marked his arrival date as 20 March – when the deal came into force – even though he arrived the day before.
Yiorgos Kyritsis, spokesman for Greece’s refugee coordination unit, insisted Monday’s operation only “involves people who have not requested asylum”.
Rights groups have criticised the deal, questioning whether it is legal and ethical.
“We don’t know what is going to actually happen,” senior UN migration official Peter Sutherland said this weekend. “But if there is any question of collective deportations without individuals being given the right to claim asylum, that is illegal.”
Many refugees on the islands have complained of not being given sufficient time and access to the asylum procedure.
Anas al-Bakhr, a Syrian engineer from Homs who is among those stuck on Chios island, said police marked his arrival date as March 20 - when the deal entered force - even though he arrived the day before.
“They said the computers were broken that day,” he said.“They said the computers were broken that day,” he said.
Agence France-Presse and Reuters contributed to this reportAgence France-Presse and Reuters contributed to this report