The first migrants deported from Greece have arrived in Turkey as part of a controversial EU plan aimed at easing mass migration to Europe.
Three boats set sail from Lesbos and Chios, two of the Greek islands most affected by irregular migration from Turkey. And while more than 200 migrants were set back on Monday, dozens more were still trying to cross the short distance to Lesbos to Greece.
BBC correspondents on Lesbos and in the Turkish port of Dikili watched the operation to send people back.
Greece starts deportations to Turkey
EU-Turkey deal a ‘Herculean task’
A calm start on Lesbos, by Sarah Rainsford, BBC News
The first deportations took place calmly as dawn was breaking, several hours earlier than expected. The migrants were brought by bus to Mytilene port, where two small Turkish passenger ferries were moored and waiting.
An official from Frontex, the EU border agency, said the vast majority sent back to Turkey on this first group were from Pakistan. Others were from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Morocco. Greek authorities said those returning had not applied for asylum.
Those who do should get individual hearings inside the crowded camp where they are detained – and where tension has been running high over the dire conditions.
But this process is expected to take a couple of weeks, and migrants here have complained of a lack of information about the asylum procedure. Some even say they are unaware they can be returned.
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Reuters
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The deportations started calmly amid small demonstrations
As the returns got underway, a small protest at the gate of the port came as a reminder of the disputes over this deal. Activists here shouted “No to deportations” and “EU shame on you”.
The EU wants this agreement and the deportation process to deter migrants from the risky crossing, saying the new deal provides a safe alternative.
But hundreds of people continue to reach the Greek coast every day, adding to the serious overcrowding at the detention centres that every migrant is now taken to.
But it is clearly about controlling numbers too. And people here fear the door to Europe is now slamming shut on them.
In Turkey questions remain – by Mark Lowen, BBC News, Dikili
After the last-minute preparations, the first arrivals here appeared to run smoothly. The first group arrived on two boats at Dikili port, then a third came in. They were met by local officials and the Turkish Red Crescent.
They were registered in a small tent before being driven away on buses. Most today were from Pakistan and, with other non-Syrians, will be taken to deportation centres where their cases will be assessed.
Turkey has now signed readmission agreements with 14 countries. Syrians refused asylum in Greece will be taken to refugee camps in southern Turkey, where in time they will take the place of those Syrians directly resettled in the EU under the so-called “one-for-one plan”.
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AP
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Non-Syrian migrants are expected to be sent to deportation camps in Turkey
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AP
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Some demonstrators gathered in Dikili as deportees arrived
The country that is already the largest host of refugees in the world now faces added pressures with these new arrivals.
There are fears over how they will be treated. Not even Greece was willing to designate Turkey a “safe country” for migrants, and Amnesty International has accused the Turkish authorities of forcibly returning a hundred Syrians a day back to Syria, violating international law. Ankara vehemently denies it but will face renewed scrutiny of its refugee policy as thousands more are returned here in the coming days.
Across the port at Dikili, around 50 Pakistanis were being held, picked up by the Turkish coastguard this morning as they tried to travel to Lesbos.
It was a stark illustration of the problem with this deal. The EU may have closed its doors, the expulsions have begun – but the desperate are still willing to try their luck.
A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants.
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Short migrant journey back to Turkey
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