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WORLD NEWSWednesday 9 March 2016
UN, rights groups criticize EU draft plan on migrants UK’s central bank
LORNE COOK
Associated Press
BRUSSELS (AP) — The United
Nations and human rights
groups voiced deep con-
cerns Tuesday about the
legality of the European
Union’s plans to send thou-
sands of migrants back to
Turkey amid fears the coun-
try cannot properly provide
for them.
EU and Turkish leaders
agreed to the broad out-
lines of a deal that would
essentially outsource Eu-
rope’s refugee emergency.
People arriving in Greece
having fled war or poverty
would be sent back to Tur-
key unless they apply for
asylum.
For every migrant sent
back, the EU would take in
one Syrian refugee, thus try-
ing to prevent the need for
people to set out on dan-
gerous sea journeys, often
arranged by unscrupulous
smugglers.
Turkey stands to gain billions
of dollars in refugee aid,
faster EU membership talks
and visa-free travel for its
citizens within four months
under the plan, whose de-
tails are to be worked out
at a March 17 EU summit.
In another development,
Serbia’s Interior Ministry said
that as of midnight Tues-
day, Slovenia will demand
valid EU visas at its borders,
effectively closing the main
Balkans migration route to
western Europe for thou-
sands who have contin-
ued to cross from Turkey to
Greece.
Under the outlines of the
proposed deal reached in
Brussels, migrants who en-
ter Europe illegally will be
sent back and have to join
the end of the queue to
enter Europe, said German
Chancellor Angela Merkel.
But the U.N. and rights
groups are not convinced
that Turkey is a safe desti-
chief: EU exit risks
nation. More than 2.7 mil- as a safe country is “alarm- tarian adviser Aurelie Pon- financial stability
lion refugees, many from ingly shortsighted and inhu- thieu.
Syria, are in Turkey. Most mane,” the group said. U.N. Secretary-General DANICA KIRKA
are housed by Turkish fami- “Turkey has forcibly re- Ban Ki-moon discussed the Associated Press
lies or live out in the open, turned refugees to Syria, migrant issue in Berlin with LONDON (AP) — The head
and few have government- and many refugees in the Merkel, and is “in line” with of the Bank of England
funded shelters. country live in desperate the comments from the UN- described Britain’s poten-
tial exit from the European
Turkey’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, right, and Greece’s Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, left, Union as the single biggest
offer flowers to journalists, prior to their meeting in Izmir, Turkey, Tuesday, March 8, 2016. Turkey domestic risk to the na-
and Greece were holding talks on bilateral issues but also to discuss the migrants’ crisis a day tion’s economy — even as
after EU leaders agreed in principle on the outlines of a possible deal with Turkey for the return of he insisted the bank would
thousands of migrants to Turkey. remain neutral in the de-
bate.
(AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis) In testy exchanges with
members of a House of
“I am deeply concerned conditions without ade- HCR, said U.N. spokesman Commons committee,
about any arrangement quate housing,” said Iverna Stephane Dujarric. Governor Mark Carney
that would involve the McGowan, head of Am- “The secretary-general tried to dodge every ef-
blanket return of anyone nesty’s European office. wants to see a (human) fort to pin him to a position
from one country to anoth- “By no stretch of imagina- rights-based approach to that either the “in” or “out”
er without spelling out the tion can Turkey be consid- the issue,” Dujarric said. campaigners might use
refugee protection safe- ered a ‘safe third country’ “That’s what he said public- ahead of a June 23 refer-
guards,” U.N. High Commis- that the EU can cozily out- ly and those are the discus- endum on EU membership.
sioner for Refugees Filippo source its obligations to,” sions he had with Merkel.” Carney’s testimony was im-
Grandi told EU lawmakers. she said. Ban also said he’s wor- portant in a debate where
In Geneva, UNHCR Europe The medical aid group ried by Europe’s increas- economic data is ban-
bureau director Vincent Doctors Without Borders ingly tough asylum poli- tered about with aban-
Cochetel told reporters said the deal is cynical and cies, growing anti-refugee don and facts are often
that collective expulsion of a sign that “European lead- rhetoric and attacks on mi- in dispute. Carney refused
foreigners is prohibited un- ers have completely lost grants. to make a recommenda-
der international law. track of reality.” “Extreme right-wing and tion, but it was clear from
Amnesty International also “Clearly, Europe is willing nationalistic political par- his testimony that the vote
warned that the plan, to do anything, including ties are inflaming the situa- was fraught with risk.
whose details are to be compromising essential hu- tion where we need to be “The issue is the biggest
worked out at a March 17 man rights and refugee law seeking solutions, harmo- domestic risk to financial
summit in Brussels, is legally principles, to stem the flow nious solutions based on stability because, in part,
flawed. Europe’s attempt of refugees and migrants,” shared responsibilities,” Ban of the issues around un-
to have Turkey designated said the group’s humani- said.q certainty,” Carney said.
The debate over contin-
ued EU membership also
has the potential to “ampli-
fy risks” surrounding trade
and investment, housing
and financial markets, he
said.
Carney said that “without
question” Britain’s financial
center would lose busi-
ness if the nation decides
to leave the EU but fails
to negotiate mutual rec-
ognition agreements to
replace the current “pass-
port system,” which allows
financial professionals to
work freely throughout the
28-nation EU. q