22 March 2016•Update: 28 March 2016
By Fatih Erel
GENEVA
The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, said Tuesday it would not operate in the mandatory detention facilities for refugees in Greece which came into effect with the EU-Turkey deal.
"UNHCR is not a party to the EU-Turkey deal, nor will we be involved in returns or detention. We will continue to assist the Greek authorities to develop an adequate reception capacity," UNHCR spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said in a press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday.
Under the deal reached Friday, all refugees and migrants arriving in Europe via Greece after Sunday will be returned to Turkey after individual assessments that are in full compliance with international law.
In return, the EU member states will resettle Syrian refugees already in Turkish camps starting on April 4.
"This past Sunday, the provisions agreed between the EU and Turkey to stem the large-scale arrival of refugees and migrants to Greece and beyond into Europe came into effect. Starting already on Saturday, the Greek authorities accelerated the transfer to the mainland of an estimated 8,000 refugees and migrants who had arrived on the islands before the 20th of March. This was to separate them from people arriving after that date and who will be subject to the new return policy," Fleming said.
Some 934 people have arrived on the island of Lesbos since Sunday, UNHCR noted.
"UNHCR has till now been supporting the authorities in the so-called 'hotspots' on the Greek islands, where refugees and migrants were received, assisted, and registered. Under the new provisions, these sites have now become detention facilities. Accordingly, and in line with our policy on opposing mandatory detention, we have suspended some of our activities at all closed centres on the islands," Fleming added.
