Turkey readmitted 386 irregular migrants since March 20: Foreign Ministry

ANKARA

In line with a March deal with the European Union, almost 400 illegal immigrants have been readmitted to Turkey so far, the spokesperson for the Turkish Foreign Ministry has announced, noting that 125 Syrians have been resettled in five EU countries under the same deal.

“Within the framework of the agreement with the EU, 386 irregular migrants have been readmitted to Turkey from five Greek islands. Of those, 14 of them were Syrians and a vast majority was other countries’ citizens,” Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Tanju Bilgiç told reporters at a press conference on May 9.

“Simultaneously with the readmission, the resettlement of Syrians has also started. Within this framework, 125 Syrians have been sent to Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden and Lithuania,” Bilgiç added.

Under the controversial pact between the EU and Turkey to stop refugees crossing by boat to Greece, Turkey agreed to take back migrants who arrived in Greece after March 20. In return, Europe pledged that for every Syrian deported, it would accept one refugee from Turkey’s vast camps, a move it hopes will discourage people from taking the highly risky journey across the Aegean Sea.