EU Demands Turkey Let Syrian Refugees In, But Keep Them Away From Europe

EU Officials Hype Aid Pledges to Turkey to Cope With Influx

by Jason Ditz

In a pair of statements adding to the confusing EU refugee policy, top officials made two separate statements demanding that Turkey let more Syrian refugees across the border, and demanding that Turkey keep the refugees away from Europe.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini insisted that last week’s pledge of some $3 billion in new aid was meant to ensure they could host all the refugees, and demanded Turkey reopen the border. Turkey insists the border is mostly open, though they kept one of the crossings, where a lot of refugees are massed, will remain closed.

EU enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn, by contrast, insisted that there was “no doubt” Turkey could do more to stop the refugees, and that a November deal obliges them to do something to prevent refugees from reaching EU soil.

Hahn warned that Turkey’s refusal to stop the refugees could lead to EU nations building walls between their own nations, in an effort to keep the refugees largely confined in southeastern Europe, which could lead to a domino effect ending the EU open borders policy.

http://news.antiwar.com/2016/02/07/eu-demands-turkey-let-syrian-refugees-in-but-keep-them-away-from-europe/