If Ankara cancels the EU-Turkey deal on refugees, the EU may face a second serious wave of migration and will need to take tough measures to prevent a new crisis.
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If Ankara cancels the EU-Turkey deal on refugees, the EU may face a second serious wave of migration and will need to take tough measures to prevent a new crisis, an unnamed source in the European Parliament told the Izvestiya newspaper.
In this case, the EU might consider an option of sending refugees to third countries. Until now, the practice of transporting refugees to other countries was viewed by the EU as inhumane, but very soon it might be left with no other choice.
“Brussels is extremely interested in the functioning agreement and on our part we have met our obligations. However, a clear signal for us is Erdogan’s statement about the introduction of the death penalty. If he decides to do so, any interaction with Ankara will be suspended, including the process of accession to the EU and the agreement on migrants,” the source said.
The representative noted that the EU understands that Turkey would stop to control the border area in response, and as a result an even greater flow of migrants will poured into Greece. According to the official, in this instance, the EU will seek “alternative solutions” to the migration crisis.
“Of course, we are engaged in informal negotiations in the event the agreement is suspended. If this happens, the parliamentarians will cut their vacations short. It is clear that Greece alone won’t be able to cope with the huge influx of people — the country would become a place full of fences and refugee camps,” he said.
The source noted that the option of transporting refugees to third countries, as a possible way to avoid the chaos, is considered by Brussels. Saying “third countries”, the official potentially means North African countries, although he didn’t specify which ones.
Earlier, the EU received a threat from Ankara, which said that the country will come out of the EU-Turkey migrant deal, if visa-free travel for Turkish citizens will not be introduced by the EU.
“If visa liberalization does not follow, we will be forced to back away from the deal on taking back (refugees) and the agreement of March 18. It could be the beginning or middle of October – but we are waiting for a firm date,” the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung Germany’s newspaper quoted the words of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.