EU And Turkish Leaders Agree Migration Deal
The "one in, one out" agreement is intended to halt illegal migration to Europe but Germany admits there will be legal challenges.
Thursday 17 March 2016 23:25, UK
The leaders of the 28 EU countries and Turkey have unanimously reached a landmark deal aimed at halting illegal migration to Europe.
Under the controversial agreement, migrants arriving on Greek islands from the Turkish coast in the coming days will be returned to Turkey in operations paid for by the EU.
In the "one in, one out" deal, for every migrant that Turkey accepts, the EU would resettle one Syrian refugee, with priority given to those who have not previously crossed the sea to Greece.
There is a target figure of 72,000 Syrians to be distributed among European states, amid the biggest migration crisis since World War Two.
The aim is to reduce the incentive for Syrian refugees to board dangerous smugglers' boats to Europe, as around 4,000 people have drowned while trying to cross the Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece.
Following the two-day summit, Prime Minister David Cameron welcomed the agreement, saying it could "significantly" reduce numbers of migrants crossing the eastern Mediterranean to enter Greece by boat.
And Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called it an "historic day".
European Council president Donald Tusk said that under the agreement, all "irregular" migrants would be returned to Turkey from Sunday.
But there are doubts over whether the plan is within the law or workable, with Germany's leader Angela Merkel admitting the pact will have setbacks and legal challenges.
The EU will also offer Turkey - currently home to 2.7 million Syrian refugees - up to 6bn euros (£4.6bn) in aid, faster EU membership talks and visa-free travel for Turkish citizens to the EU.
Last year, around a million migrants and refugees entered the EU by boat from Turkey to Greece and tens of thousands of others have arrived in 2016.
Around 46,000, who want to go to Germany and other richer nations, are currently trapped in Greece as their northern route is blocked after Austria and several Balkan countries stopped letting refugees through.
The EU agreement will not affect them - they will either be expelled as economic migrants or granted asylum.
After talks with Mr Davutoglu, Mr Tusk recommended the 28 EU member states approve the text without changes and they rapidly agreed at a summit lunch in Brussels.
Sky's Senior Political Correspondent Sophy Ridge said the deal may not deter the large number of refugees on the move.
She said: "The aim of this summit was to break the traffickers' business model and to send a message that the unofficial routes to Europe will no longer work.
"But these are desperate refugees, and if one route closes to them they may make other, more perilous, journeys."