EU, Turkey clinch deal to return migrants
Source: Reuters
World | Fri Mar 18, 2016 11:50am EDT
EU, Turkey clinch deal to return migrants
BRUSSELS | BY HUMEYRA PAMUK AND JAN STRUPCZEWSKI
European Union leaders approved a controversial deal with Turkey on Friday intended to halt illegal migration flows to Europe in return for financial and political rewards for Ankara.
The accord aims to close the main route over which a million migrants and refugees poured across the Aegean Sea to Greece before marching north to Germany and Sweden in the last year. But deep doubts remain about whether it is legal or workable.
After a morning of talks with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, European Council President Donald Tusk recommended that the 28 EU member states approve the text without changes and they rapidly agreed at a summit lunch in Brussels.
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Under the pact, Ankara would take back all illegal migrants who cross to Greece, including Syrians, in return for the EU taking in thousands of Syrian refugees directly from Turkey and rewarding it with more money, early visa-free travel and progress in its EU membership negotiations.
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Read more:
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-migrants-turkey-davutoglu-idUSKCN0WK0QQ