Turk Minister Says Greece's Decision to Stop Asylum Applicants Unlawful, Shameful

Published March 4th, 2020 - 07:34 GMT
Migrants and refugees scuffle with riot police on the Greek Aegean island of Lesbos, on March 3, 2020, amid a migration surge from neighbouring Turkey after it opened its borders to thousands of refugees trying to reach Europe. Several aid groups on Greece's Lesbos said they were suspending work with refugees and evacuating staff on March 3 in the wake of violence and threats, as tensions soar on an island in the crosshairs of the migrant crisis. EU chiefs pledged millions of euros of financial assistance t
Migrants and refugees scuffle with riot police on the Greek Aegean island of Lesbos, on March 3, 2020, amid a migration surge from neighbouring Turkey after it opened its borders to thousands of refugees trying to reach Europe. Several aid groups on Greece's Lesbos said they were suspending work with refugees and evacuating staff on March 3 in the wake of violence and threats, as tensions soar on an island in the crosshairs of the migrant crisis. EU chiefs pledged millions of euros of financial assistance to Greece to help tackle the migration surge. ANGELOS TZORTZINIS / AFP
Highlights
Mentioning the decision in his post, Soylu stressed that the decision is a shame and "totally unlawful."

Greece’s decision to suspend new asylum applications for a month is unlawful and shameful, Turkey's interior minister said late Tuesday.

"According to a statement highlighted by the UNHCR, the 1951 Geneva Convention and the EU refugee law do not allow such a decision, either," Suleyman Soylu said on Twitter.

Mentioning the decision in his post, Soylu stressed that the decision is a shame and "totally unlawful."

More than 130,000 irregular migrants have crossed into Europe so far after Turkey opened its borders, accusing the EU of not fulfilling the promises it made as part of a 2015 agreement reached on the refugee crisis.

The Greek reaction to irregular migrants and asylum seekers has been harsh, with many battered, tear-gassed and at least two killed by Greek security forces.

This article has been adapted from its original source.

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