People queue for food at a makeshift camp at the Greek-Macedonian border, among a growing number of European frontiers that remained closed to migrants. While Slovenia and Greece are part of the EU, Serbia and Macedonia, which lie between them, aren’t.
European Union and Turkish officials are scrambling to finalise thedeal before their next summit on March 17-18, and Cavusoglu said the bloc had largely accepted Turkey’s terms.
“Many say that Turkey is not a safe third country”.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has blamed European nations for “unilaterally” shutting the Balkan route formigrants.
He also said Turkey would meet by May 1 the EU’s conditions for visa-free travel to Europe, seen by many Turks as the main benefit of the deal.
Greece returned the migrants under an existing agreement with Greece on the readmission to Turkey of migrantswho do not qualify for global protection. Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia and Macedonia effectively closed their borders to newmigrants a day after the European Union announced a deal with Turkey to prevent new undocumented people from coming to Europe.
Ignoring warnings that their hopes for quick access to a better life in Europe were in vain, migrants gathered on Turkish beaches and piled into boats Thursday for the risky crossing to Greece. “Regarding those from other countries – such as Afghanistan, Somalia, or any other place – we will apply United Nations deportation principles, put them on board planes and send back to their own countries”, the official stated.