Fall of Turkey-EU deal would trap more refugees: Greece

By Furkan Naci Top

ATHENS

Thousands more refugees would be trapped in Greece if the refugee deal between Turkey and the EU faltered, Greece's acting minister for immigration policy warned Tuesday.

Yannis Mouzalas told reporters that Greece is concerned about the possible fallout from problems with the deal.

"The possibility of deterioration of the agreement has been frequently mentioned… [This could mean] 130,000 or 180,000 more refugees and asylum-seekers would be trapped in the country," he said.

Mouzalas said there had been no increase in the number of immigrants and asylum-seekers crossing from Turkey to Greece.

The Turkey-EU deal, signed in March, aims to discourage irregular migration through the Aegean Sea by taking stricter measures against human traffickers and improving the conditions of nearly 3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey.

The deal also allows for the acceleration of Turkey’s EU membership bid and visa-free travel for Turkish nationals within the Schengen area, on the condition that Ankara meets 72 requirements set by the EU.

Ankara has met most of the requirements, but the EU’s demands for change in Turkey’s anti-terrorism law have led to a deadlock in negotiations.