Greek officials say more time needed to begin refugee deportations
LONDON – As a controversial accord struck between the European Union and Turkey to return refugees from Europe came into effect on Sunday, Greece said it needed more time to implement the plan.
“The agreement to send back new arrivals on the islands should, according to the text, enter into force on March 20,” Giorgos Kyritsis, spokesman of the Greek migration coordination agency, told the AFP news agency.
“But a plan like this cannot be put in place in only 24 hours,” he was quoted as saying.
According to a deal between Ankara and the EU last week, migrants arriving in Greece will be deported to Turkey. The EU has promised to resettle one refugee from a Turkish refugee camp for every Syrian returned.
On Saturday, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras told ministers to be ready to begin deportations the following day. Tsipras said that 2,300 security and legal experts are set to arrive in Greece to help enforce the deal.
With Germany and France promising to send 600 police and asylum officials to Greece, Greek officials said they were waiting for the extra hands.
“We still don’t know how the deal will be implemented in practice,” a police source on the island of Lesbos told AFP.
“Above all, we are waiting for the staff Europe promised to be able to quickly process asylum applications -- translators, lawyers, police officers --because we cannot do it alone.”
Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel, a key backer of the accord, said that the deportations would likely not begin before April 4.
“The agreement to send back new arrivals on the islands should, according to the text, enter into force on March 20,” Giorgos Kyritsis, spokesman of the Greek migration coordination agency, told the AFP news agency.
“But a plan like this cannot be put in place in only 24 hours,” he was quoted as saying.
According to a deal between Ankara and the EU last week, migrants arriving in Greece will be deported to Turkey. The EU has promised to resettle one refugee from a Turkish refugee camp for every Syrian returned.
On Saturday, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras told ministers to be ready to begin deportations the following day. Tsipras said that 2,300 security and legal experts are set to arrive in Greece to help enforce the deal.
With Germany and France promising to send 600 police and asylum officials to Greece, Greek officials said they were waiting for the extra hands.
“We still don’t know how the deal will be implemented in practice,” a police source on the island of Lesbos told AFP.
“Above all, we are waiting for the staff Europe promised to be able to quickly process asylum applications -- translators, lawyers, police officers --because we cannot do it alone.”
Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel, a key backer of the accord, said that the deportations would likely not begin before April 4.