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WORLD NEWSTuesday 5 April 2016

EU begins shipping migrants in Greece back to Turkey

Migrants get on a ferry at the port of Mytilini in the Greek island of Lesbos, Monday, April 4, 2016, over the operation. EU-Turkey agreement is the
during the first day of the implementation of the deal between EU and Turkey. Under the deal, “The returns underway this only way to deter people
migrants arriving illegally in Greece will be returned to Turkey if they do not apply for asylum or if morning in the Aegean are from heading to Greece
they make an asylum claim that is rejected. the symbolic start of the from the nearby Turkish
potential disastrous undo- coast — a brief but perilous
(AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris) ing of Europe’s commit- trip that has cost many lives
ment to protecting refu- — and to stop what was an
E. BECATOROS As dawn broke, buses filled nations — 191 men and gees,” said Amnesty Inter- almost uncontrolled flow
D. SOGUEL with migrants left under 11 women — were sent national’s deputy director of hundreds of thousands
Associated Press heavy security from a de- back. They included 130 for Europe, Gauri van Gulik. of people heading into
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A tention center on the island Pakistanis, 42 Afghans, 10 “Urgent key questions are: Europe’s prosperous heart-
controversial European of Lesbos headed to the Iranians, five Congolese, What process is everyone land.
Union plan to stem the flow port for the short boat ride four Sri Lankans, three Ban- going through and what Under the deal, those who
of refugees began Mon- to the Turkish port of Dikili. gladeshis, three from India, will become of them after arrived on or after March
day with the deportation of More were ferried across and one each from Iraq, their return?” 20 will be sent back to Tur-
more than 200 people from from the island of Chios, Somalia and Ivory Coast, Judith Sunderland, acting key unless they qualify for
Greek islands to Turkey, de- where riot police clashed as well as two Syrians who deputy Europe director at asylum. For every Syrian
spite concerns over human hours earlier with demon- Greek authorities said had Human Rights Watch, said returned, Europe will take
rights and criticism that Eu- strators protesting the ex- asked to be sent back. trying to close the Aegean a Syrian to be resettled in
rope was turning its back pulsions. Human rights groups ex- migration route by shipping an EU country.
on refugees. In all, 202 people from 11 pressed deep concern people “back to uncertain Despite the deal, hundreds
fates in Turkey” will only have persisted in making
make them seek poten- the Aegean crossing, al-
tially more dangerous and though the numbers are far
expensive ways to reach lower than the thousands
the EU. “This whole deal who had earlier arrived
involves throwing human daily. On Monday, Greek
beings down legal loop- authorities said they had
holes,” she said. “Turkey registered 339 new arrivals
is not a safe country, and over the past 24 hours.
rights on paper are not the Even Turkish President
same as rights in practice.” Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
“It is completely disingenu- whose country signed up
ous to say that the EU-Tur- to the deal in return for
key deal is about saving an EU pledge of 3 billion
lives,” Sunderland add- euros to handle the refu-
ed. “Conducting serious gee crisis, lashed out at
search-and-rescue opera- Europe for turning its back
tions at sea, doing large- refugees and restricting the
scale, unconditional reset- numbers they will accept.
tlement, creating legal mi- “Did we turn Syrians back?
gration pathways — these No, we didn’t, but they
policies would save lives.” did,” he said of EU coun-
European officials insist the tries.

Wave of suicide attacks kill at least 29 people across Iraq

SINAN SALAHEDDIN self up inside a restaurant 200 miles (320 kilometers) smoke billowed from the Another suicide car bomb-
Associated Press that is frequented by Shiite southeast of Baghdad area. The attack also dam- er hit a headquarters of
BAGHDAD (AP) — Militants paramilitary militia fighters, At around the same time, aged up to 30 cars. paramilitary troops in the
unleashed a wave of sui- killing at least 14 people. a suicide car bomber set Basra is located about 340 town of Mishahda, 20 miles
cide attacks across Iraq on Another 27 people were off his explosives-laden ve- miles (550 kilometers) south- (30 kilometers) north of
Monday, killing at least 29 wounded in the attack on hicle in a commercial area east of Baghdad. Baghdad, killing four troops
people and wounding doz- the well-known restaurant, in the oil-rich city of Basra, Earlier in the day, a suicide and wounding 10 others.
ens, officials said. which is located on the killing at least five people bomber rammed his car Medical officials confirmed
The deadliest attack took main highway that links the and wounding 10 others, into a security checkpoint the causality figures. All of-
place in the southern prov- capital, Baghdad, with the another police officer said. in the capital’s northeast- ficials spoke on condition
ince of Dhi Qar (also known southern provinces, a po- Pieces of flesh and debris ern suburb of Sadr al-Qa- of anonymity as they were
as Nasiriyah) when a sui- lice officer said. littered the bloodstained nat, killing six troops and not authorized to release
cide bomber blew him- Dhi Qar is located about pavement as thick black wounding 13 others. information.