The child drowned Monday when a boat with 48 migrants capsized. People tried to reach the Greek island of Lesbos from the Turkish coast, said the Greek coast guard.
It was the first confirmed death since Turkey announced last week that it will terminate its policy of locking the migrants trying to enter Europe, stating that it can no longer accept so many people fleeing the civil war in Syria. Reported by the New York Times.
Weekend Greece has accused the Turkish government that it «has itself become a smuggler», and launched a major armed forces on the long land and sea borders, which it shares with Turkey. The Greek government also stated that it will suspend the application for asylum for a month and deport anyone arriving illegally.
None of these measures is not permitted in accordance with the legislation of the European Union, but Athens has said it will require special permission, as the European Commission stated that examining this ad. International protocols on the protection of refugees, the subscribers to which Greece is also prohibit such a policy, although in extreme conditions exceptions are possible.
Since the end of last week between the workers and Riot police along the land border between Turkey and Greece has been ravaged by a collision. Thousands of migrants have flocked to the border, some of them were taken by the Turkish authorities to Istanbul. The Greek authorities used tear gas, batons, stun guns and rubber bullets to deter migrants.
Footage given to Sky News by Turkish authorities shows the Greek coastguard shooting into the water near migrants on an inflatable boat.
To read more, click here: https://t.co/uNV36T9TPB pic.twitter.com/IJRWDR4Bav
— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 2, 2020
The death of a child of the sea and clashes at the border quickly raised concerns about a new immigration crisis. There is no indication that the Greek authorities were responsible for the drowning child on Monday.
Although the total number of deaths of people trying to cross the Mediterranean sea has decreased compared to recent years, rescue vessels became smaller, and the crossing is still dangerous.
More than 3.6 million Syrian refugees have fled to Turkey since the civil war began in Syria nine years ago. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long required Europe to help them.
According to UN estimates, during the weekend, about 15,000 people from several countries, including families with children, were sent via Turkey to the Northern land border with Greece. The Greek government said that it stopped nearly 10 000 attempts to cross 24 hours and arrested 150 people. But dozens of migrants in small groups could be seen in some villages of the border region.
Footage released by the Turkish government appears to show the Greek coast guard targeting a dinghy full of #migrants. pic.twitter.com/4evqe0vmJo
— euronews (@euronews) March 2, 2020
Greece suffered a hard crisis in 2015, and receives more than 100 000 migrants in appalling conditions, many of which are located in the North-Eastern Aegean Islands.
«The borders of Greece are the external borders of Europe, said Sunday the Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis. We will protect them.»
The UN Agency for refugees said on Monday:
«All States have the right to control its borders and to control illegal movements but at the same time must refrain from excessive or disproportionate use of force and maintain systems of processing requests for asylum in the prescribed manner».
On Monday, Erdogan said that he opened the borders of their country after many warnings to Europe that he will send refugees to the continent.
He stated that he warned the European Union:
«If you don’t share the burden with us, we will open these doors».
Erdogan added: «They thought we were joking».
«Either we make these people live a decent life on their land, or each take their share of the burden, he said. — Now during the unilateral sacrifice is over.»
Erdogan also called for European support for its military operations against the Russian offensive and Syrian forces in the North of Syria, which in recent months has displaced at least a million of Syrians to the border of Turkey.
At a press conference on Monday at the crisis center of the European Union European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she and two other European leader will travel on Tuesday to meet with the Greek government and the Turkish border.
«I recognize that Turkey is in a difficult situation, she said. — But what we see now may not be the answer or solution.»
She added that Europe will stick to the already concluded agreement with Turkey about giving money to assist refugees and migrants, but they will continue the negotiations with Turkey to «find common language«.
