ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday threatened to throw open Turkey’s borders to illegal migrants after the European Parliament voted to back a freeze in membership talks with Ankara.
“Listen to me. If you go any further, then the frontiers will be opened, bear that in mind,” Erdogan told the European Union (EU) in a speech in Istanbul.
On March 18, Ankara and Brussels forged a deal for Turkey to halt the flow of migrants to Europe — an accord that has largely been successful in reducing numbers crossing the Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece.
Turkey agreed to step up maritime and land border controls in exchange for incentives on its long-stalled membership bid, including visa-free travel for its citizens and an acceleration of accession talks.
However with an October target passing and no apparent progress on the visa issue and accession talks stalled, Ankara has stepped up accusations that Brussels was not keeping its side of the bargain.
The latest setback was the vote on Thursday by the European Parliament to freeze membership talks, a move prompted by alarm over Turkey’s crackdown after an attempted putsch.
But the resolution is non-binding and has not been backed by the European Commission or almost any member states.
Erdogan said that the EU had cried out for help in 2015, as tens of thousands of migrants massed at the border crossing with EU member Bulgaria.
“You began to ask us ‘what will we do if Turkey opens its borders’?” he asked.
Around one million migrants from poverty-stricken countries and refugees from wars crossed into Europe in 2015, raising fears of a social crisis in the EU and strengthening the hand of right-wing nationalist parties.
Erdogan threatens to open Turkey borders to migrants after EU vote
Erdogan threatens to open Turkey borders to migrants after EU vote
EU nations back Islamabad measures against illegal immigration, agree on jobs for Pakistanis — ministry
- Boat tragedies and the arrest of Pakistani and foreign nationals at airports with forged documents has spotlighted the issue in recent years
- Pakistan, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland agree on comprehensive roadmap to discourage illegal immigration, improve security
ISLAMABAD: Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland have backed Pakistan’s measures against illegal immigration and agreed on providing jobs to Pakistani nationals officially, the Pakistani interior ministry said on Friday.
The issue of illegal immigration and its consequences gained significant attention in Pakistan in recent years, following the death of hundreds of Pakistani nationals in boat capsizes and the arrest of Pakistani and foreign nationals at airports with forged documents.
The tragedies put the spotlight on perilous journeys many migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Afghanistan and other countries, often driven by economic hardship, undertake to seek better financial prospects in Europe and Western countries.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi this week attended a conference of foreign ministers from Pakistan, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland that focused on steps to prevent illegal immigration and human trafficking.
“The conference agreed to formulate a comprehensive roadmap to discourage illegal immigration and encourage legal immigration,” the Pakistani interior ministry said. “All countries also agreed to provide jobs for Pakistan at the official level.”
All parties agreed on joint measures to address the issue of illegal immigration, with participating EU countries deciding to appoint focal persons in the Pakistani interior ministry to improve coordination.
Detailed consultations on tackling internal security, militancy and narcotics also took place at the conference, and the participants decided to adopt a coordinated strategy to address common challenges.
“Pakistan is implementing a coordinated strategy against human trafficking and illegal immigration,” Naqvi told the participants. “Illegal immigration from Pakistan to Europe has decreased by 47 percent.”
He said the reduction in illegal immigration resulted from a tough crackdown on human trafficking mafia, adding that European nations and Pakistan could overcome this challenge together.
