Monday

25th Sep 2023

EU urges Turkey to do more, amid fresh talk of mini-Schengen

  • Despite the bad weather, people fleeing persecution and war continue to arrive in Greece in large numbers (Photo: CAFOD Photo Library)

EU commission vice-president Frans Timmermans has urged Ankara to do more to stop migrants, as the Netherlands revives talk of mini-Schengen.

“The numbers are still way too high in Greece, between 2,000 to 3,000 people [arriving] every day. We cannot be satisfied at this stage,” he told reporters on Monday (11 January) following a meeting with Turkey's EU affairs minister, Volkan Bozkir.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

The two sides spoke about Turkey's recent decision to introduce visa reguirements for Syrians as well as work permits for those who remain inside Turkey.

Timmermans pressed Ankara to speed up projects which could lead to more educational and medical facilities for Syrians.

He also asked Turkey for more details on their crack down on smuggling networks.

Last November, the EU offered Turkey €3 billion to improve the lives of refugees in a bid to mak more people stay there.

Some €500 million will come from the EU budget, with the remaining €2.5 billion pooled from member states. But the money hasn’t been paid yet.

Earlier last week, a contact at Turkey's foreign ministry told EUobserver the money transfer would take place once an assessment has been completed.

"Currently, there’s an ongoing needs assessment. The transfer of the funds would take place once that work is completed,” the source said.

The contact could not give a date when such an assessment would be completed.

Also last week, German interior minister Thomas de Maiziere complained that bad weather was the primary reason behind a drop in the number of people seeking international protection and not Turkey's efforts.

Up to 10,000 had been entering Germany on a daily basis. That number dropped to a daily average of some 3,200.

The refugee crisis has dominated political debate in Europe since last summer.

Bulagaria and Hungary have built razor fances on their external borders.

Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Slovakia, and Sweden have also reintroduced checks on EU internal borders, in the so-called Schengen passport-free zone.

Mini-Schengen?

Dutch ministers, last Thursday, denied The Netherlands is formally considering plans to create a mini-Schengen wit Austria, Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg.

But on Monday, the Dutch migration minister, Klaas Dijkhof, told MEPs in the civil liberties committee that it could be implemented as a last resort.

"We won't push it because we like the other solution [full Schengen] much better but we also have to be fair that if we don't come to a solution, I don't expect governments to say 'plan A wasn't available and now we do nothing', and that is also not realistic,” he said.

He added: "If we don't come to a solution carried by all member states or all Schengen member states, then it will eventually put the Schengen agreement we have at risk.”

Border force

The next EU step will be to create a border and coast guard force by the end of July.

The border force would have the "right to intervene" should a member state, like Greece, fail to protect the bloc's frontiers.

Slovakia, for its part, will take over the EU presidency in July.

Last Friday, Slovakia's prime minister Robert Fico said the EU border agency should be fast tracked and is sending a letter to EU council chief Donald Tusk to dedicate an EU summit to the proposal.

But Slovakia is opposed to an EU scheme to distribute 160,000 asylum seekers from Italy and Greece to other member states.

Like te €3 billion Turkey plan, the redistrubtion scheme has so far failed to deliver. As of last week, only around 0.17 percent of the proposed relocations had taken place.

Sweden keen to slow Europe's 'refugee highway'

German, Swedish, and Danish ministers have vowed to maintain the EU's passport-free Schengen zone amid broader moves to stem the flow of migrants and asylum seekers.

IS targets EU tourists in Istanbul attack

A suicide bomber, said to be IS, killed 10 people, including eight German tourists, in Istanbul's historic centre. Turkish intelligence issued warnings. Police couldn't keep up.

Merkel: euro and open borders 'directly linked'

German leader says single market would “suffer massively” if borders were closed, but admitted that Europe is "vulnerable" and lacks the order to receive all refugees.

EU failing to deliver on migration plans

Three out of 11 hotspots in place. Two hundred and seventy people out of 160,000 relocated: Last year's EU promises to limit and better manage migration flows yet to materialise.

Merkel and Turkish PM in show of support

Ahmet Davutoglu assured the German chancellor that Turkey would make "all possible efforts" to reduce the number of migrants entering Europe. Merkel hinted at further aid from the EU.

Latest News

  1. Europe's energy strategy: A tale of competing priorities
  2. Why Greek state workers are protesting new labour law
  3. Gloves off, as Polish ruling party fights for power
  4. Here's the headline of every op-ed imploring something to stop
  5. Report: Tax richest 0.5%, raise €213bn for EU coffers
  6. EU aid for Africa risks violating spending rules, Oxfam says
  7. Activists push €40bn fossil subsidies into Dutch-election spotlight
  8. Europe must Trump-proof its Ukraine arms supplies

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators, industry & healthcare experts at the 24th IMDRF session, September 25-26, Berlin. Register by 20 Sept to join in person or online.
  2. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  3. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
  4. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators & industry experts at the 24th IMDRF session- Berlin September 25-26. Register early for discounted hotel rates
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersGlobal interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch
  6. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  2. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable
  3. World BankWorld Bank Report Highlights Role of Human Development for a Successful Green Transition in Europe
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic summit to step up the fight against food loss and waste
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersThink-tank: Strengthen co-operation around tech giants’ influence in the Nordics
  6. EFBWWEFBWW calls for the EC to stop exploitation in subcontracting chains

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us