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WORLD NEWSMonday 7 March 2016
EU looks to refugee-laden Turkey to ease its migrant burden
LORNE COOK ing north. and processed as early as
RAF CASERT “The number of illegal en-
The Associated Press tries from Turkey to Greece possible.
BRUSSELS (AP) — European remains far too high,” sum-
Union leaders will look to mit chairman, EU President “On Monday, we should
persuade Turkey’s prime Donald Tusk, wrote in an
minister at a summit on invitation letter to the lead- all confirm this approach.
Monday to slow the flow ers.
of migrants traveling to Eu- Tusk said that he and Turk- With that we will close the
rope and take back thou- ish Prime Minister Ahmet
sands who do not qualify Davutoglu “believe that Western Balkans route,” he
for asylum. we can reduce the flow
They will also be looking at through large-scale and wrote without specifying
how to seal the Balkan mi- rapid return from Greece
grant route and boost aid of all migrants not in need the plan further.
to Greece in an attempt of international protec-
to restore the unity among tion.” The bloc has offered sever-
the 28 member nations af- In the Balkans, Slovenia,
ter months of increasing Croatia and Hungary - with al sweeteners to get Turkish
bickering and go-it-alone support from Austria - have
policies. encouraged Macedonia authorities to crack down
At least 18 migrants to squeeze its border with
drowned off the Turkish Greece, allowing only a on migrant movements.
coast while trying to reach trickle of people onto its
Greece on Sunday, Tur- territory. Some 3 billion euros ($3.3
key’s state-run news agen- Tusk wrote that all should
cy reported, highlighting work for “an end to the so- billion) will be made
the urgency of the migrant called wave-through pol-
situation. The coast guard icy of migrants” meaning available for Syrian refu-
launched a search-and- they should be stopped
gees. Turkey’s long-cov-
eted EUmembership pro-
Turkey’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, right, poses with Euro- cess is being sped up, as
pean Council President Donald Tusk for a photo after their joint
press conference in Ankara, Turkey. European Union leaders will are moves to ease EU visa
look to persuade Turkey’s prime minister at a summit on Mon-
day to slow the flow of migrants traveling to Europe and take requirements. Summit
back thousands who do not qualify for asylum.
meetings like these are
(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)
also part of the package.
Ahead of the meeting
rescue mission for other mi- arrive daily from Turkey to Monday,
grants believed to be miss- Greece, where many have
ing from the accident. been stranded as countries the EU’s executive Com-
Ankara is central to easing on the main migrant route
Europe’s refugee pressures. through the Balkans are mission trumpeted the
More than 2,000 people aiming to stop them mov-
availability of tens of mil-
lions of euros to help Syrian
school children and pro-
vide food aid. It said that
a new “road map” on visa
Ukrainians rally to demand Russia release Savchenko liberalization for Turkey had
also been submitted.
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — About backed rebels in eastern effigy of Russian President three embassy vehicles However,
2,000 people rallied on Ukraine. She is now on trial Vladimir Putin, which had a and threw smoke bombs. Turkey has a huge migrant
Independence Square in Russia, accused of act- sign reading “killer” around The embassy said it sent a challenge of its own, as
in Kiev on Sunday to de- ing as a spotter who called its neck. One man wearing formal note of protest to host to more than 2 million
mand that Russia release in coordinates for a mortar camouflage climbed over the Ukrainian Foreign Min- people who fled the con-
Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda attack that killed two Rus- the fence and threw a rock istry. flict in Syria, and the returns
Savchenko, with hundreds sian journalists and several through the window above Savchenko declared a on the European invest-
then marching to the Rus- other civilians. the door. hunger strike on Thursday ments have been limited
sian Embassy to vent their After Sunday’s rally, sev- Police were on the scene, after the judge adjourned so far.
anger by throwing eggs eral hundred protesters but didn’t intervene. the trial for a week without Many complain that still far
and rocks at the building. reached the Russian Em- On Saturday night, the Rus- allowing her to give her fi- too many people cross the
Savchenko was captured bassy, sian Embassy said it was at- nal statement. Aegean Sea from Turkey
in June 2014 while fighting where they burned a Rus- tacked by men in camou- Her sister, Vera Savchenko, to Greece, adding to the
with a Ukrainian volunteer sian flag and threw eggs flage armed with baseball said at the rally they are 850,000 people who en-
battalion against Russia- at the building and at an bats, who badly damaged monitoring her condition. tered Greece that way last
year.
