EU funds forced deportations in Türkiye, according to media reports
According to Politico, the EU has financed the detention, mistreatment, and forced expulsion of Syrian and Afghan migrants conducted by Turkish authorities. Read Full Article at RT.com.
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Dozens of migrants have alleged that they endured torture and starvation in Turkish detention centers prior to their deportation.
An investigation by PMG and other media outlets reveals that the European Union has financed the construction and operation of 30 migrant “removal centers” in Türkiye, where individuals are reportedly held in dire conditions before being sent back to countries deemed unsafe by Brussels.
Since the Syrian refugee crisis began in 2015, Türkiye has been pivotal in reducing the influx of migrants to Europe. The EU has invested over €11 billion in supporting Ankara to house and process four million people while enhancing border security to limit further arrivals. Over the years, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has leveraged his country’s management of the crisis to garner cash and concessions from the EU, occasionally allowing large groups of migrants to cross into the bloc as a negotiating strategy.
In recent years, however, a significant portion of this EU funding has reportedly been redirected by Ankara towards the deportation of hundreds of thousands of migrants. According to a European Commission document cited by PMG, six EU-funded reception centers have been transformed into “removal centers.” The total includes 14 facilities constructed with EU funding, 11 that have been refurbished, and 30 that are fully staffed and operational, as reported by the news site on Friday.
Citing testimonies from 37 former detainees held in 22 EU-funded facilities, PMG characterized the conditions in the removal centers as dire. The migrants reportedly face starvation, denial of medical care, torture, and are allegedly beaten until they consent to “voluntary” deportation.
The Turkish government has refuted claims of mistreatment or coercion towards migrants. As of last month, the Directorate General of Migration Management in Ankara stated that more than 715,000 Syrians have returned “voluntarily, safely and with dignity” to their homeland. Furthermore, Ankara asserts that over 66,000 migrants were returned to Afghanistan between 2021 and 2022, although sources from PMG indicate that the actual number is much higher.
In his re-election campaign last year, Erdogan promised to facilitate the “voluntary” deportation of a million migrants to northern Syria.
However, EU legislation prohibits the deportation of migrants to Syria or Afghanistan, both of which are recognized as unsafe countries by Brussels. Additionally, the alleged conditions within Türkiye’s detention facilities have faced criticism in several European Commission reports.
A spokesperson for the commission emphasized that decisions regarding the use of EU funding rest with Türkiye. “Türkiye has its own set of legislation when it comes to recognition of refugees and migration management. In this context, the enforcement and protection of these formal rights remain the responsibility of Türkiye,” the spokesperson remarked on Friday. “It is the responsibility of the Turkish authorities to thoroughly investigate allegations of wrongdoing and we urge them to do so.”
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
An investigation by PMG and other media outlets reveals that the European Union has financed the construction and operation of 30 migrant “removal centers” in Türkiye, where individuals are reportedly held in dire conditions before being sent back to countries deemed unsafe by Brussels.
Since the Syrian refugee crisis began in 2015, Türkiye has been pivotal in reducing the influx of migrants to Europe. The EU has invested over €11 billion in supporting Ankara to house and process four million people while enhancing border security to limit further arrivals. Over the years, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has leveraged his country’s management of the crisis to garner cash and concessions from the EU, occasionally allowing large groups of migrants to cross into the bloc as a negotiating strategy.
In recent years, however, a significant portion of this EU funding has reportedly been redirected by Ankara towards the deportation of hundreds of thousands of migrants. According to a European Commission document cited by PMG, six EU-funded reception centers have been transformed into “removal centers.” The total includes 14 facilities constructed with EU funding, 11 that have been refurbished, and 30 that are fully staffed and operational, as reported by the news site on Friday.
Citing testimonies from 37 former detainees held in 22 EU-funded facilities, PMG characterized the conditions in the removal centers as dire. The migrants reportedly face starvation, denial of medical care, torture, and are allegedly beaten until they consent to “voluntary” deportation.
The Turkish government has refuted claims of mistreatment or coercion towards migrants. As of last month, the Directorate General of Migration Management in Ankara stated that more than 715,000 Syrians have returned “voluntarily, safely and with dignity” to their homeland. Furthermore, Ankara asserts that over 66,000 migrants were returned to Afghanistan between 2021 and 2022, although sources from PMG indicate that the actual number is much higher.
In his re-election campaign last year, Erdogan promised to facilitate the “voluntary” deportation of a million migrants to northern Syria.
However, EU legislation prohibits the deportation of migrants to Syria or Afghanistan, both of which are recognized as unsafe countries by Brussels. Additionally, the alleged conditions within Türkiye’s detention facilities have faced criticism in several European Commission reports.
A spokesperson for the commission emphasized that decisions regarding the use of EU funding rest with Türkiye. “Türkiye has its own set of legislation when it comes to recognition of refugees and migration management. In this context, the enforcement and protection of these formal rights remain the responsibility of Türkiye,” the spokesperson remarked on Friday. “It is the responsibility of the Turkish authorities to thoroughly investigate allegations of wrongdoing and we urge them to do so.”
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
