EU must accept some blame, if Turkey abuses Syrian refugees

A recently released report by Amnesty International (AI) accused Turkey of forcibly repatriating Syrian refugees back to their country, where they face an uncertain fate.
Amnesty did not give a specific number but said about 100 people have been sent back on a daily basis since mid-January. The returnees include women and children.
Needless to say, sending people back to war zone is a breach of international laws and norms and a violation of humanitarian principles.
Turkey has denied sending back any refugees against their will. But the government needs to do more than just making a press statement; it needs to take the accusation seriously and launch an investigation.
No one doubts the burden that Turkey has been going through with refugees. The country has taken in 2.7 million Syrian refugees since the war began five years ago.
But this should not be an excuse to commit such a violation and go against international norms, especially as the country aspires to be a key regional and international player.
It goes without saying – being a middle-ranking power of any standing also entails considerable responsibility. And if it is proven that Ankara has been pushing refugees back in such numbers since January, it undermines all the good work and humanitarian aid it has provided to refugees so far. The world may only remember the forced returns, not the other very positive activities.
Reports from the ground suggest there has been discrimination and ill treatment of Syrian refugees, caused by prejudice and concern from Turkish citizens, who see them as taking up valuable space and resources.
Turkey has more or less committed itself to an agreement with the European Union about not permitting the refugees to cross into Europe.
According to Amnesty, many of the returnees appeared to be unregistered refugees. But AI also reported that registered refugees were also sent back because they did not have papers on them when confronted by Turkish officials.
“The inhumanity and scale of the returns is truly shocking; Turkey should stop them immediately,” said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty’s director for Europe and Central Asia.
Although the number has fallen, refugees continue to arrive on Greek islands in the Mediterranean. European Union countries have tightened their borders, thus, creating a ‘bottleneck’ in Greece, which has limited logistical capacity to support this kind of influx.
More than one million refugees arrived in Greece last year. About 360 have died trying. Most are seeking to reach Germany and other countries in northern Europe, where there are more opportunities for better livelihood than in the Mediterranean states.
But starting tomorrow, under the EU-Turkey agreement, migrants arriving in Greece will be sent back to Turkey if their claim for asylum is rejected.
Aid, and political concessions, such as easing travel restrictions for Turkish citizens, have been agreed on.
The EU, however, needs to realise that the success of this arrangement hinges on whether Turkey is safe and “open” for asylum seekers. Judging by Amnesty’s report, that is not the case.If European states seal their borders then turn a blind eye to abuses that are committed in Turkey, the EU must also share the blame for this violation of humanitarian principles.
“The large-scale returns of Syrian refugees we have documented highlight the fatal flaws in the EU-Turkey deal. It is a deal that can only be implemented with the hardest of hearts and a blithe disregard for international law,” Amnesty’s Dalhuisen said.
The billions of euros that Turkey has been and will be receiving from the EU is supposed to go to assisting Syrian refugees, to make their lives a little more bearable until the civil war ends.
But it could be a very long time before peace returns to Syria, given what’s been taking place in the country and the Middle East. So it’s logical to look for ways to coexist, such as improved employment access for these migrants.
Nobody wants to receive handouts all their life. If the Turkish government can help Syrian refugees to help themselves, these people who have fled will respect the Turkish people for the care they get in their hour of need. But if Ankara is shown to be doing the right thing for the wrong reasons, Turkey can forget about being respected as a player on the global stage.