{"id":10204,"date":"2021-03-17T09:00:29","date_gmt":"2021-03-17T06:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rsaegean.org\/?p=10204"},"modified":"2021-03-17T18:37:12","modified_gmt":"2021-03-17T15:37:12","slug":"eu-turkey-deal-5-years-of-shame-an-avoidable-institutional-deviation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rsaegean.org\/en\/eu-turkey-deal-5-years-of-shame-an-avoidable-institutional-deviation\/","title":{"rendered":"An avoidable institutional deviation | EU-Turkey \u201cdeal\u201d: 5 Years of Shame"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"10204\" class=\"elementor elementor-10204\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-a39b8ba elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"a39b8ba\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-305582c\" data-id=\"305582c\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-dcf1fe4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"dcf1fe4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/rsaegean.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/An-avoidable-institutional-deviation-1024x576.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-10214\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rsaegean.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/An-avoidable-institutional-deviation-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/rsaegean.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/An-avoidable-institutional-deviation-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/rsaegean.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/An-avoidable-institutional-deviation-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/rsaegean.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/An-avoidable-institutional-deviation-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/rsaegean.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/An-avoidable-institutional-deviation-1250x703.png 1250w, https:\/\/rsaegean.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/An-avoidable-institutional-deviation-400x225.png 400w, https:\/\/rsaegean.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/An-avoidable-institutional-deviation.png 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-15857d44 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"15857d44\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7e5a31f9\" data-id=\"7e5a31f9\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-248b4d0a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"248b4d0a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The Statement \/ \u201cDeal\u201d of the Heads of European Union (EU) Member States and Turkey represents an institutional deviation, five years after its signature. Its aim was and continues to be the unconditional and out-of-bounds exclusion of refugees from access to EU territory and from the protection to which they are entitled.<\/p><p>This institutional deviation disregards the value of human beings. This core European value has been trampled by policies preventing entry into EU territory of people at risk who seek its protection. It also rests upon the establishment of a state of derogation from the rule of law which puts thousands of refugees at risk, pushes local communities to dangerous extremism and xenophobia, violates basic human rights and undermines fundamental legal and democratic principles.<\/p><p><strong>This institutional deviation must end immediately.<\/strong><\/p><p>Recalling that:<\/p><p>The main \u2018qualitative\u2019 feature of the \u201cEU-Turkey deal\u201d is a shameful and dangerous perversion of historical reality: since EU countries can neither derogate from nor suspend their international and EU law obligation to prevent <em>refoulement<\/em>, the deal comes as a cynical and hypocritical attempt to circumvent said duty through an indirect, yet clear, declaration of Turkey as a safe country for refugees, whereas:<\/p><ul><li>Turkey is not fully bound by the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol on Refugees, as it has ratified the Convention subject to a geographical limitation against non-European asylum seekers. Accordingly, non-European refugees in Turkey, namely Syrians who are provocatively portrayed as \u201creturnable\u201d in the \u201cdeal\u201d, do not fall within the scope of international protection pursuant to the Geneva Refugee Convention but to a special temporary protection regime which does not reflect an international commitment.<\/li><li>Official reports and established case law from international courts and institutions prove systematic and long-lasting flagrant violations of human rights and the rule of law in Turkey: torture and inhuman and degrading treatment, lack of independent and impartial judiciary, political arbitrariness, impunity, deprivation of civil liberties, abductions etc. Nevertheless, EU insists on perceiving Turkey as a \u201csafe third country\u201d even in light of the official dismantling of basic democratic rights within the country after a coup attempt in July 2016.<\/li><li>Selling the deal as a success is shameful. Its implementation has produced tens of thousands of sufferings on the Greek islands.<\/li><li>Preserving the refugee deal with Turkey at all costs has also led Europe to remain largely inactive in the face of blatant human rights abuses under the Erdogan regime.<\/li><li>The \u201cEU-Turkey deal\u201d was agreed under bargaining terms contrary to human dignity, culminating in provisions on trading of people (!), where \u201cfor every Syrian being returned to Turkey from the Greek islands, another Syrian will be resettled from Turkey to the EU\u201d.<sup><a id=\"footnote-ref-1\" href=\"#footnote-1\">[1]<\/a><\/sup><\/li><\/ul><p>The \u201cEU-Turkey deal\u201d served as the culmination of a series of restrictive measures, notably the closure of the \u201cBalkan route\u201d in March 2016 following the entry of a large number of refugees from mid-2015 into Central and Northern European countries. The \u201cEU-Turkey deal\u201d was presented as \u201ca compromise\u201d towards the extreme deterrence policies promoted by the Visegrad countries, even though in fact the \u201cDeal\u201d was affected by their xenophobic and racist rhetoric and has contributed to a regression of principles. (also disregarded the largely satisfactory management of said state emergency by most EU countries and the positive response of their societies to the ubiquitous right of human beings to seek and obtain protection. Refugees in 2015 demanded and <em>de facto <\/em>obtained this very right, bestowed upon them by law, in spite of artificial barriers, risks and hardship. In this respect, in addition to its other problematic elements, the \u201cEU Turkey\u201d reversed the wave of solidarity and acceptance of refugees and turned them into undesirable <em>personae non gratae <\/em>in Europe, responsible for disruption of public order \u2013 the \u201cdeal\u201d professes a restoration thereof, along with hypocritical concern for human suffering. In essence, the \u201cEU-Turkey deal\u201d has instrumentalised fear by fuelling racism and xenophobia.<\/p><p>Five years after its launch, implementation of the \u201cEU-Turkey deal\u201d remains sluggish on many of its essential aspects, <em>inter alia <\/em>the return of large numbers of people from Greece to Turkey. It has, however, succeeded in delivering its logic of <em>refoulement<\/em>, return or readmission at any cost, and of treating asylum seekers, refugees, as returnable aliens through further lowering of even basic safeguards for their return. Against the same political backdrop, allegations of unlawful push backs are increasing, referring to \u201cunlawful returns without respect for formal procedures, including non-registration of those arrested, denial of access to asylum procedures and arbitrary abduction, detention and mass deportation of those attempting to enter the country\u2026 but also occasionally apprehended in mainland controls, as well as complaints of deterrence practices at sea, and even arbitrary deportations of persons who had landed in Greek coasts\u2026\u201d<sup><a id=\"footnote-ref-2\" href=\"#footnote-2\">[2]<\/a><\/sup><\/p><p>Furthermore, the \u201cEU-Turkey deal\u201d undermines Greek asylum policy by subjecting it to return policy, at a disastrous cost for the lives of thousands of refugees and for the rule of law. The \u201cdeal\u201d also bears \u201ctoxic\u201d impact on local communities on the island, where xenophobic and racist reactions are incited due to pressing conditions of deadlock.<\/p><ul><li>The unreasonable containment of a large number of asylum seekers on the Eastern Aegean islands under conditions incompatible with international and EU standards generates conflictual and dangerous conditions, compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year. The problematic situation suffered by thousands of refugees in Moria, Lesvos became a nightmare following the destruction of the Reception and Identification Centre (RIC) of Moria by fires, coupled with unacceptable living conditions for thousands in the wholly unsuitable new camp in Kara Tepe,<sup><a id=\"footnote-ref-3\" href=\"#footnote-3\">[3]<\/a><\/sup> are illustrative of the tragic living conditions facing refugees on the islands. Beyond the lack of dignified accommodation, other rights of asylum seekers such as access to appropriate medical care, employment and education of minors<sup><a id=\"footnote-ref-4\" href=\"#footnote-4\">[4]<\/a><\/sup> are also flagrantly and systematically flouted, depriving them of any integration prospect.<\/li><li>The enactment of \u201cfast-track\u201d asylum procedures undermining fair and efficient processing of asylum applications, not least through the use of the \u201csafe third country\u201d concept, exacerbates already problematic procedures and violates basic rule of law principles with a view to excluding refugees from protection and to placing them in deportation proceedings. An exceptional border procedure has been applied by way of derogation on the Eastern Aegean islands over the past five years, regardless of conditions and numbers of arrivals, and in violation of basic procedural safeguards.<sup><a id=\"footnote-ref-5\" href=\"#footnote-5\">[5]<\/a><\/sup> The dismantlement of crucial guarantees in 2019-2020,<sup><a id=\"footnote-ref-6\" href=\"#footnote-6\">[6]<\/a><\/sup> including the enactment of non-suspensive asylum appeals, of restrictions on the exemption of vulnerable persons from the border procedure, of extremely truncated deadlines, and the expansion of detention expose even acutely vulnerable refugees e.g. victims of violence and torture, unaccompanied minors to immediate risk and to destitution.<sup><a id=\"footnote-ref-7\" href=\"#footnote-7\">[7]<\/a><\/sup> More worrying developments are expected in light of the government\u2019s announcement of the replacement of reception facilities on the islands by \u201cclosed centres\u201d as a core pillar of the country\u2019s reception and asylum policy.<sup><a id=\"footnote-ref-8\" href=\"#footnote-8\">[8]<\/a><\/sup><\/li><\/ul><p><em>Whereas<\/em>, all EU countries are bound by commitments to respect the principle of <em>non-refoulement <\/em>and the rule of law, enshrined in the 1951 Geneva Convention and the 1967 New York Protocol, the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention against Torture (CAT), the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.<\/p><p><em>Whereas<\/em>, the principle of <em>non-refoulement <\/em>and the rule of law are flagrantly violated by the \u201cEU-Turkey deal\u201d and its effects and\/or accompanying measures.<\/p><p><em>Whereas<\/em>, primarily, for those reasons, Turkey is neither a \u201csafe country of origin\u201d nor a \u201csafe third country\u201d.<\/p><p><em>Whereas<\/em>, declarations by EU institutions relating to \u201cupdate\u201d and\/or \u201cimprovement\u201d and\/or conclusion of a new \u201cEU-Turkey deal\u201d cause even greater distress and fear among refugees at risk. Moreover, carrying such processes with an interlocutor such as Erdo\u011fan, known for systematically instrumentalising refugees at any human cost, as consistently highlighted by the Greek authorities,<sup><a id=\"footnote-ref-9\" href=\"#footnote-9\">[9]<\/a><\/sup> is highly contradictory and dangerous. In this regard, a serious bad precedent was set for modern European history in 2020 through a double instrumentalisation of refugees: people were as an \u201cenemy army\u201d by Greece and the EU through a fully military response and an unprecedented and clearly unlawful \u201csuspension\u201d of the Refugee Convention.<sup><a id=\"footnote-ref-10\" href=\"#footnote-10\">[10]<\/a><\/sup><\/p><p><em>Whereas<\/em>, the backsliding and violation of foundational European values cannot continue.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-1b24cb4 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"1b24cb4\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-02dc9d5\" data-id=\"02dc9d5\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-096bc46 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"096bc46\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ol><li>The \u201cEU-Turkey deal\u201d must be abolished. The EU must pursue radically different policies to the simplistic and dead-end approach of deterrence and militarisation of external borders. Policies that are realistic, lawful and apt to provide a substantive response to the plight of refugees based on respect for human life, liberty, dignity and solidarity between societies and states in the EU and neighbouring countries.<\/li><li>Compliance with the principle of <em>non-refoulement <\/em>at land or sea is a non-negotiable obligation. Unlawful push back policies putting human lives at risk in Evros and the Greek sea borders must stop. Rescue and protection of people are the highest form of human obligation.<\/li><li>Securing safe channels is possible. A permanent, large-scale resettlement mechanism in the EU from third countries under pressure due to large refugee populations, free of unacceptable terms and conditions, is a realistic and humane solution. A European Union of over 500 million people can and should welcome refugees. Importantly, the EU demands refugee protection of third countries which often alone receive more refugees than EU countries combined.<sup><a id=\"footnote-ref-11\" href=\"#footnote-11\">[11]<\/a><\/sup><\/li><li>A permanent, large-scale relocation mechanism must be established and maintained between EU Member States. A coalition of willing states and hundreds of welcoming cities and regions in Europe must organise this urgent needed refugee admission program from Greece. This solidarity mechanism must put the needs of refugees at its core.<\/li><li>The situation in so-called \u201creception centres\u201d \/ hotspots on the islands threatens human lives. Preventing a total collapse of human rights requires immediate phasing out of the geographical restriction, transfer of asylum seekers to suitable conditions on the mainland and roll-out of relocation procedures for the most vulnerable, in order to allow time for the Greek reception system to be reinforced.<\/li><li>Greek reception and asylum policy must radically change to protect basic principles of international protection and the rule law, currently systematically violated in Greece with disastrous repercussions for human lives.<\/li><li>Finally, the proposals of the \u201cNew Pact on Migration and Asylum\u201d and the accompanying package of legislative proposals are old \u2018recipes\u2019 with dangerous ingredients. They codify derogations from legality and seriously undermine the rule of law and the rights of refugees. They must be revisited, reviewed in depth and radically amended in the direction of ensuring functioning asylum procedures, dignified reception conditions and solidarity between EU Member States as well as other countries, and primordially of treating refugees and migrants under the terms of equality and the rule of law which are all too seriously violated.<\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-d8213f2 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"d8213f2\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-83b3459\" data-id=\"83b3459\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0f21722 elementor-cta--skin-classic elementor-animated-content elementor-bg-transform elementor-bg-transform-zoom-in elementor-widget elementor-widget-call-to-action\" data-id=\"0f21722\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"call-to-action.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-cta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-cta__bg-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-cta__bg elementor-bg\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/rsaegean.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/5-1024x576.png);\" role=\"img\" aria-label=\"5\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-cta__bg-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-cta__title elementor-cta__content-item elementor-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tRead the full story\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-cta__description elementor-cta__content-item elementor-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tEU-Turkey \u201cdeal\u201d: Five years of Shame \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-cta__button-wrapper elementor-cta__content-item elementor-content-item \">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-cta__button elementor-button elementor-size-\" href=\"https:\/\/rsaegean.org\/en\/eu-turkey-deal-5-years-of-shame\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tMore\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4f6c957 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4f6c957\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-cd9b856\" data-id=\"cd9b856\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5405a6e elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"5405a6e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-d90896f elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"d90896f\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-a581d78\" data-id=\"a581d78\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5143946 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5143946\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Notes<\/strong>\n<ol><small>\n \t<li id=\"footnote-1\">European Council, <em>EU-Turkey Statement<\/em>, 18 March 2016, available at: <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3egCHQl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3egCHQl<\/a>. <a href=\"#footnote-ref-1\">\u2191<\/a><\/li>\n \t<li id=\"footnote-2\">RSA et al., <em>Joint statement on push backs practices in Greece<\/em>, 15 February 2021, available at: <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2OcQ09N\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/2OcQ09N<\/a>; \u2018\u039a\u03bf\u03b9\u03bd\u03ae \u03b4\u03ae\u03bb\u03c9\u03c3\u03b7 6 \u03bf\u03c1\u03b3\u03b1\u03bd\u03ce\u03c3\u03b5\u03c9\u03bd \u03c3\u03c7\u03b5\u03c4\u03b9\u03ba\u03ac \u03bc\u03b5 \u03c4\u03b9\u03c2 \u03c0\u03c1\u03b1\u03ba\u03c4\u03b9\u03ba\u03ad\u03c2 \u03c4\u03c9\u03bd \u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u03ac\u03bd\u03bf\u03bc\u03c9\u03bd \u03b5\u03c0\u03b1\u03bd\u03b1\u03c0\u03c1\u03bf\u03c9\u03b8\u03ae\u03c3\u03b5\u03c9\u03bd \u03c3\u03c4\u03b7\u03bd \u0395\u03bb\u03bb\u03ac\u03b4\u03b1\u2019, 15 February 2021, available at: <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3v7B3X2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3v7B3X2<\/a>. See also European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, \u2018Council of Europe\u2019s anti-torture Committee calls on Greece to reform its immigration detention system and stop pushbacks\u2019, 19 November 2020, available at: <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3kZr95d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3kZr95d<\/a>. <a href=\"#footnote-ref-2\">\u2191<\/a><\/li>\n \t<li id=\"footnote-3\">RSA, \u2018Moria 2.0: Trapped refugees at the mercy of winter\u2019, 1 December 2020, available at: <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3v563Hl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3v563Hl<\/a>; RSA et al., \u2018\u03a3\u03c4\u03b1\u03bc\u03b1\u03c4\u03ae\u03c3\u03c4\u03b5 \u03bd\u03b1 \u03c0\u03b1\u03af\u03b6\u03b5\u03c4\u03b5 \u03bc\u03b5 \u03c4\u03b9\u03c2 \u03b6\u03c9\u03ad\u03c2 \u03b1\u03bd\u03b8\u03c1\u03ce\u03c0\u03c9\u03bd: \u03b5\u03c0\u03b5\u03af\u03b3\u03b5\u03b9 \u03b7 \u03b4\u03b9\u03b1\u03c3\u03c6\u03ac\u03bb\u03b9\u03c3\u03b7 \u03c4\u03b7\u03c2 \u03c5\u03b3\u03b5\u03af\u03b1\u03c2 \u03c6\u03b9\u03bb\u03bf\u03be\u03b5\u03bd\u03bf\u03c5\u03bc\u03ad\u03bd\u03c9\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u03b9 \u03b5\u03c1\u03b3\u03b1\u03b6\u03bf\u03bc\u03ad\u03bd\u03c9\u03bd \u03c3\u03c4\u03bf \u039a\u03a5\u03a4 \u03c4\u03b7\u03c2 \u039b\u03ad\u03c3\u03b2\u03bf\u03c5\u2019, 26 January 2021, available at: <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3c4Cdda\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3c4Cdda<\/a>. <a href=\"#footnote-ref-3\">\u2191<\/a><\/li>\n \t<li id=\"footnote-4\">UNHCR, \u2018The majority of children refugees on the Greek islands do not go to school\u2019, 29 August 2019, available at: <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3bc9sdm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3bc9sdm<\/a>. <a href=\"#footnote-ref-4\">\u2191<\/a><\/li>\n \t<li id=\"footnote-5\">RSA et al., \u2018\u03a3\u03bf\u03b2\u03b1\u03c1\u03ad\u03c2 \u03b5\u03bd\u03c3\u03c4\u03ac\u03c3\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2 \u03c4\u03c9\u03bd \u03bd\u03bf\u03bc\u03b9\u03ba\u03ce\u03bd \u03bf\u03c1\u03b3\u03b1\u03bd\u03ce\u03c3\u03b5\u03c9\u03bd \u03c3\u03c7\u03b5\u03c4\u03b9\u03ba\u03ac \u03bc\u03b5 \u03c4\u03b7\u03bd \u03ad\u03bb\u03bb\u03b5\u03b9\u03c8\u03b7 \u03b4\u03c9\u03c1\u03b5\u03ac\u03bd \u03bd\u03bf\u03bc\u03b9\u03ba\u03ae\u03c2 \u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b4\u03c1\u03bf\u03bc\u03ae\u03c2 \u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2\/\u03c3\u03c4\u03b9\u03c2 \u03b1\u03b9\u03c4\u03bf\u03cd\u03bd\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2\/\u03bf\u03cd\u03c3\u03b5\u03c2 \u03ac\u03c3\u03c5\u03bb\u03bf \u03c3\u03c4\u03b7 \u039b\u03ad\u03c3\u03b2\u03bf\u2019, 13 January 2021, available at: <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3tcHnLt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3tcHnLt<\/a>. <a href=\"#footnote-ref-5\">\u2191<\/a><\/li>\n \t<li id=\"footnote-6\"><a id=\"_Hlk66102998\"><\/a>RSA, <em>Comments on the International Protection Bill<\/em>, 21 October 2019, available at: <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3btYgey\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3btYgey<\/a>; <em>Comments on the Reform of the International Protection Act<\/em>, 23 April 2020, available at: <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2MYwNrV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/2MYwNrV<\/a>. <a href=\"#footnote-ref-6\">\u2191<\/a><\/li>\n \t<li id=\"footnote-7\">RSA, PRO ASYL and MSF, \u2018Border procedures on the Greek islands violate asylum seekers\u2019 right to special procedural guarantees\u2019, 15 February 2021, available at: <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3v2YC3j\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3v2YC3j<\/a>. <a href=\"#footnote-ref-7\">\u2191<\/a><\/li>\n \t<li id=\"footnote-8\">Euronews, \u2018\u039d. \u039c\u03b7\u03c4\u03b1\u03c1\u03ac\u03ba\u03b7\u03c2: \u03a4\u03bf \u03c0\u03bb\u03ac\u03bd\u03bf \u03b3\u03b9\u03b1 \u03c4\u03b1 \u03ba\u03bb\u03b5\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03ac \u03ba\u03ad\u03bd\u03c4\u03c1\u03b1 \u03c3\u03c4\u03b1 \u03bd\u03b7\u03c3\u03b9\u03ac\u2019, 10 July 2020, available at: <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3qrt03S\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3qrt03S<\/a>. <a href=\"#footnote-ref-8\">\u2191<\/a><\/li>\n \t<li id=\"footnote-9\">According to a statement by the Alternate Minister of Migration and Asylum, in March 2020 \u201can undemocratic regime effectively announced that they were going to use these desperate people in order to achieve their geostrategic and geopolitical goals\u201d: European Parliament, <em>LIBE Committee meeting<\/em>, 6 July 2020, available: <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3qrtKpG\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3qrtKpG<\/a>. <a href=\"#footnote-ref-9\">\u2191<\/a><\/li>\n \t<li id=\"footnote-10\">RSA, <em>Rights denied during Greek asylum procedure suspension<\/em>, April 2020, available at: <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3v8yF2j\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3v8yF2j<\/a>. <a href=\"#footnote-ref-10\">\u2191<\/a><\/li>\n \t<li id=\"footnote-11\">\u201cWe cannot respond to refugee crises by closing doors and building fences. The world must show solidarity and share this responsibility\u201d: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, 30 March 2016, available at: <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2Oyy5Ku\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/2Oyy5Ku<\/a>. Statistics: Refugees from Syria: 3,655,067 in Turkey; 865,531 in Lebanon; 663,507 in Jordan; 243,121 in Iraq: <em>Syria Regional Refugee Response<\/em>, available at: <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3bws6PD\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3bws6PD<\/a>. \u201cMore than 5.6 million people have fled Syria since 2011, seeking security in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and beyond\u2026 Millions of Syrians have fled across the border, fleeing bombs and bullets that destroyed their homes. Turkey hosts the largest number of registered Syrian refugees \u2013 currently 3.6 million\u2026 In Lebanon, life is a daily struggle for more than one million Syrian refugees, who have little or no financial resources. About 70% live below the poverty line.\u201d <a href=\"#footnote-ref-11\">\u2191<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Statement \/ \u201cDeal\u201d of the Heads of European Union (EU) Member States and Turkey represents an institutional deviation, five&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":10214,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,239,138,146,137],"tags":[275,18],"class_list":{"0":"post-10204","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-publications","8":"category-briefings","9":"category-eu-turkey-statement","10":"category-stop-the-toxic-deal-2","11":"category-topics","12":"tag-2021-2","13":"tag-featured"},"menu_order":0,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rsaegean.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rsaegean.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rsaegean.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rsaegean.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rsaegean.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10204"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/rsaegean.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10204\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10450,"href":"https:\/\/rsaegean.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10204\/revisions\/10450"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rsaegean.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10214"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rsaegean.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rsaegean.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rsaegean.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}