Migration and Borders

This week, we take a look at what media in Italy, Germany, Poland and Spain have to say about the situation at the Greek-Turkish border.

Lesbos, an open-air prison

Internazionale takes a closer look at the situation on the Greek island of Lesbos and how migrants and volunteers are coping under the current conditions. The article describes how Lesbos is starting to resemble an open-air prison, with hardly any space, structures or adequate facilities to accommodate the amount of people arriving. According to the article, Ankara’s decision to open the borders and send migrants to Greece has only added to the congestion on the island. Moreover, activists and volunteers helping asylum seekers on Lesbos have said they would suspend their activities following an increased number of threats from anti-immigrant groups. also Lesbos is seeing more and more demonstrations of people trying to stop boats full of displaced people seeking shelter. The lack of support as well as the overcrowding of space have forced newly arrived migrants to sleep in the streets, thus risking their lives.



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European solidarity with Greece

Tagesschau has reported ongoing disputes between Ankara and Athens about the Greek-Turkish border, following Turkey’s declaration that EU borders were open to migrants. The European Union has taken a stance of solidarity with Greece, even going as far as to confirm the need to protect external borders and accuse the Turkish government of using the issue for further political gain. The EU is asking for compliance with EU law from both the Turkish and Greek governments, although it has stated that it is unclear whether the border currently complies with international law. EU ministers failed to address human rights concerns occurring not only at the Turkish-Greek border but also at refuge camps on the Greek islands. The Council of Ministers is supposed to deal with the issue of redistribution of refugees in the future.



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Fortress Europe?

Rzeczpospolita writes about the situation at the Greek-Turkish border, focusing in this article on the measures announced by the EU to help Greece to protect its borders. Considering the increasing number of migrants trying to reach the EU, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced to support Greece €700 million. In addition, Frontex, the EU’s border agency, will deploy ‘Rapid Border Intervention Teams’ as well as an additional 100 guards, supported by coastal patrol vessels, helicopters, and cars. The article points out how the protection of its external border is one of the EU’s priorities. Greece’s Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, announced that the Greek border controls have already stopped 24,000 migrants trying to enter the country via the sea and land borders. The article highlights the need for a solution that can prevent the situation from escalating any further, especially since the EU did not do well in managing the influx of migrants back in 2015.



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Failed EU-Turkey Deal

Thousands of refugees have gathered at the Greek-Turkish border after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan decided to open the country’s borders with Greece. According to El País, the idea behind this decision was to transfer the migratory pressure from Turkey's southern border to the northwest border with Greece in order to involve the European Union with the humanitarian crisis in Syria. Fearing it will not be able to handle a new influx of migrants from Syria, Ankara is exerting further pressure on the EU. Moreover, the money that Turkey should have received under the deal the country signed with the EU in 2016 has not yet been fully disbursed. While the lack of financial support from the EU could worsen the already fragile economic situation in Turkey, the current situation in Idlib has forced even more Syrians flee to Turkey. 





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