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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 4 March 2020

AP EXPLAINS: The new migration crisis at Europe's borders

By ANDREW WILKS and such as Greece and Bul-
NICHOLAS PAPHITIS garia have quickly mobi-
ANKARA (AP) — Facing a lized police, border guards
potential wave of nearly a and the military to deal with
million people fleeing fight- the scenario and seem bet-
ing in northern Syria, Turkey ter prepared to halt large-
has thrown open its borders scale land crossings than in
with Greece to thousands 2015. Sea crossings, how-
of refugees and other mi- ever, are much harder to
grants trying to enter Eu- stop. With the Turkish coast
rope, and has threatened guard doing nothing to halt
to send "millions" more. migrant boats heading for
Greece responded by clos- the Greek islands, once the
ing the land border, rush- flimsy, overcrowded ves-
ing in military and police sels are inside Greek waters
reinforcements, and tried they can't be turned back.
to stop migrant boats at- Very often, their occupants
tempting the short but peril- need to be rescued from
ous crossing from the Turkish sinking or crippled boats.
coast to its eastern islands. Late last year arrivals in
Human rights organizations Greece were at their high-
have called for urgent ac- est level since 2016, even
tion to stop the situation before Turkey removed its
from deteriorating further, border controls, and the
warning of an unfolding hu- EU fears a repeat of the cri-
manitarian crisis. sis that triggered divisions
Here is a look at the situa- among member states.
tion at the border, and at WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR
whether this the beginning GREECE?
of another migration crisis Even before the current
for Europe. Migrants arrive at the village of Skala Sikaminias, on the Greek island of Lesbos, after crossing on crisis, Greece was strug-
WHO ARE THE MIGRANTS a dinghy the Aegean sea from Turkey on Monday, March 2, 2020. gling to cope with tens of
GATHERED AT THE GREEK Associated Press thousands of migrants who
BORDER? had entered from Turkey.
Turkey hosts 4 million refu- those who entered Greece meanwhile, says that more key has spent $40 billion to Most want to continue to
gees, some 3.6 million of from Turkey were Afghans. than 100,000 refugees have date on hosting refugees. more prosperous EU coun-
them from Syria. Previously, Syrians accounted for 14 left its territory but there is Ankara also seeks support tries such as Germany, but
their movement inside Tur- percent. no evidence to support for its policy in Syria, where are stuck in Greece fol-
key was strictly regulated HOW MANY HAVE CROSSED this claim. Uneasy NATO al- it opposes Syrian President lowing border shutdowns
and under a 2016 deal with INTO GREECE? lies Greece and Turkey are Bashar Assad and Kurdish in countries further along
the European Union, Turkey By late Tuesday, Greek au- historic regional rivals who fighters linked to the PKK, their route. Island migrant
tightened border controls. thorities had arrested and came close to war three which has fought a 35-year camps are many times
Since Ankara announced charged 218 people with times in the past half-cen- insurgency inside Turkey. Er- above capacity — more
last week that it would not illegal entry after crossing tury, and even before this dogan wants to use some than 20,000 people are on
impede those seeking to the land border with Turkey. crisis relations were tense territory seized from the Lesbos alone — and living
enter Europe, thousands About 26,500 attempts to over undersea exploration Kurds in October to resettle conditions there are dire.
of Afghans, Iranians, Syr- pass have been thwarted rights. refugees from Turkey but Under the EU-Turkey deal,
ians, Pakistanis and others since Saturday, although WHY HAS ERDOGAN the plan has met with little new arrivals must stay on
from Africa and Asia have the pressure seemed to be OPENED THE GATES? international support. the islands until their asylum
rushed to try their luck. slackening both on land Turkey has long com- COULD THIS BE 2015 ALL bids are processed, but the
Although the push ostensi- and at sea.About 520 ar- plained about the lack OVER AGAIN? lengthy asylum process has
bly stems from the conflict rived on the Greek islands of support it receives for In 2015, a million refugees led to a big backlog. Island
to Turkey's south, Greek of- in the 24 hours up to Tues- shouldering the burden of reached Europe, cross- residents are running out of
ficials say very few of the day morning, down from caring for the world's larg- ing mainly from Turkey to patience after five years
recent arrivals are Syrians. nearly 1,000 a day earlier. est refugee population. De- Greece, and to a lesser of bearing the brunt of Eu-
Most of those arrested According to the U.N.'s In- spite the promise of 6 billion degree from countries such rope's migrant influx, and
Monday were Afghans, ternational Organization euros to pay for services for as Libya to Italy. Although Greek government efforts
Pakistanis and Moroccans. of Migration, 13,000 had Syrians, Turkish President Re- Erdogan said Monday that last week to build new de-
Figures from January, be- gathered at the 212-kilo- cep Tayyip Erdogan wants "millions" would soon be tention camps on Lesbos
fore the intensified fighting meter (132-mile) border by to renegotiate the deal waiting to cross the Greek and Chios provoked riots
in Syria, show 35 percent of Saturday evening. Turkey, with the EU. He says Tur- border, EU border states on the islands.q