Meeting in extraordinary session in Brussels on Wednesday 4 March to react to the situation at the Greco-Turkish and Turco-Bulgarian borders, the Interior Ministers of the EU Member States gave their support to Greece, Bulgaria and Cyprus to deal with possible new arrivals of migrants at their borders after Ankara temporarily broke off the implementation of the March 2016 Declaration (see EUROPE 12436/12) at the end of last week.
In this capacity and at the same time as the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, was in Ankara to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (see other news), ministers criticised Turkey’s actions in a political declaration on external borders.
Although acknowledging the migratory pressure in Turkey, where there are 3.7 million refugees, as explained by the Croatian Interior Minister, Davor Božinović, they thus rejected “Turkey’s use of migratory pressure for political purposes”. The situation at the EU’s external borders “is not acceptable”, they said.
However, this language is more neutral than an earlier version of the statement in which they expressly “condemned” these actions. The language was allegedly softened at Germany’s request, according to several sources.
The Ministers then called on Turkey to fully implement the March 2016 Declaration, which has “produced tangible results”. They recall that both sides have a strong interest in continuing to adhere to this Declaration and to see its benefits, which include giving money to Turkey to shelter Syrian refugees locally and preventing the departure of migrants to the EU.
While, according to the Greek authorities, between 10,000 and 15,000 people are currently at the Greco-Turkish border and waiting to enter Greece, the European Ministers also wanted to send a firm signal to these people, who are tempted to enter the country illegally.
They therefore wished to point out in their text that no “illegal” crossing of borders would be “tolerated” and that migrants should in no case be “encouraged” to cross those borders. All “necessary action will be taken” to prevent such crossings, the ministers noted, “in accordance with European and international law”.
It is therefore a very firm message that the Twenty-Seven wanted to send to Ankara, the day after the Commission’ announcements also aimed at protecting Europe’s borders by sending reinforcements from the Frontex agency and additional financial aid of €700 million (see EUROPE 12438/1).
The Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, said at the end of the ministerial meeting that all Member States had responded “positively” to the requests for reinforcements sent to Frontex.
Several countries have already indicated the number of border guards they are likely to send. The French Minister of the Interior, Christophe Castaner, spoke of a “dozen people” who could be mobilised. As a Schengen-area member and invited to the meeting, Switzerland indicated that between two and 16 border guards could be made available.
Ministers will return to the issue of aid to these countries on 13 March at a new Home Affairs Council.
Greece denounces the instrumentalisation of migrants and fake news
For their part, the Greek ministers in charge of asylum and migration and the protection of citizens denounced Turkey’s actions more brutally at a press conference.
Accusing Ankara of spreading false information, which the EU ministers also acknowledged in their statement by calling on “the Turkish government and all actors and organisations to counter the spread of false information”, Greek officials categorically denied the acts of violence committed by the Greek coastguard. They also denied reports that a migrant had died in clashes with the Greek police.
The one-month suspension of the filing of asylum applications on Greek soil is “legal”, said Minister of State Georgios Gerapetritis. He added that derogations were provided for in international and European law to address threats to public order or public health.
The month-long break will nevertheless allow for the consideration of the case of persons stranded at the border who are in need of international protection, Greek officials seemed to suggest.
Asked about the subject, the European Commissioner recalled the importance of respecting fundamental rights and stressed the “difficult situation” of people blocked at the border, for whom “a solution must be found”. But “the borders are not open, it’s not true”, she insisted.
Relieving the Greek islands
In support of Greece, and although the declaration makes no mention of it, several Member States still reiterated, on the sidelines of the meeting, their readiness to relieve the Greek islands and to receive on their soil unaccompanied minors currently stranded in Greek camps.
The German Minister, Horst Seehofer, called on his partners to join a coalition of volunteers to take care of unaccompanied minors already present in the Greek islands. Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg’s Minister for Migration, has also responded to this call, as has Finland. Mr Castaner, for his part, stressed that France had already pledged to receive 400 minors from camps on the Greek islands.
See the statement: http://bit.ly/3cxPbj6 (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)