The whole world is currently looking at Greece. The refugee situation is exacerbated at the border with Turkey. We answer the most important questions for you.
Why is the situation in Greece so dramatic at the moment?
The situation on the Greek-Turkish border has become increasingly acute over the past few days. The reason for the crisis that Greece is going through is that Turkey has a serious decision. Despite the refugee agreement with the EU, Turkey has At the end of February its borders towards the EU were declared open. Refugees are simply waved through. This is also reported by the Kleine Zeitung. This has the effect of thousands of people trying to get to Greece and thus the EU. The situation in the Syrian war had recently escalated again. As a result, hundreds of thousands of Syrians fled and made their way to the Turkish border. “Turkey has taken in around 3.6 million refugees from Syria, where Ankara is one of the parties in the civil war that started in 2011”, reports the small newspaper.
Why did Turkey open the borders?
We remember 2015 – the refugee issue was also at its peak back then. Hundreds of thousands of refugees made their way to Central Europe via the Balkan route. A refugee agreement was concluded in 2016. Ankara undertook to take back refugees who had arrived in the Greek Aegean Islands. In addition, one should act more strongly against tractor gangs. In return, the EU promised Turkey billions in aid, accelerated visa facilitation and the modernization of the customs union.
According to Turkey, the EU did not keep these commitments. The EU in turn says that Turkey is using migrants as a leverage.
What is the current situation at the border?
Tense. Attacks are said to have occurred repeatedly in the night to Sunday. Tear gas, smoke bombs and stun grenades are said to have been used by Turkey. The Greek media report. NGO employees who, for example, Moria refugee camp help face numerous threats. According to the APA, some aid organizations had to temporarily stop their work. In the community center of the Swiss organization “One Happy Family” on the island of Lesbos also broke out on Saturday evening. The School of Peace building was destroyed, the organization says: “Such a development makes the situation an international issue.”
The situation threatened to escalate last week. Frustrated citizens took to the streets to demonstrate against the conservative government’s refugee policy. Many express their understanding of the situation of the refugees, but only a few can understand that they are not being brought to mainland Greece or other European countries. The population feels left alone – for years.
How shall we continue?
All eyes are on Brussels on Monday. The Turkish President is said to be with EU leaders Recep Tayyip Erdogan advise on the refugee agreement. One of the issues discussed is how the EU can better support Turkey in the care of refugees. In the meantime, the German government has announced that it will take in hundreds of refugee children – in cooperation with other EU countries.
How is Austria dealing with the situation?
FPÖ club chairman announced on Monday that Germany would like to take in refugee children Herbert Kickl sharply criticized. Chancellor affirmed on Sunday Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) that no additional refugees should be accepted in Austria. “Whoever takes in women and children also takes in fathers and men.” Not all government members share this opinion. Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, for example, believes that Austria, as part of the EU, must make a greater contribution to solving the refugee issue in Turkey and Greece. Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler (The Greens) is also for receiving refugees. However, it was accepted that the coalition partner, the ÖVP, could not prevail for the time being.
–
