DM Monitoring
ANKARA: The figures and statements given by Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu this week included significant data regarding the extent of this year’s irregular migration from Turkey to Europe.
Soylu said the number of migrants on the route decreased from around 500,000 in 2019 to about 114,000 this year due to the impact of COVID-19.
Dec. 18 is celebrated by the United Nations as International Migrants Day. However, the day is becoming more tragic each year as it is marked over the dead bodies of thousands of migrants, including elderly, children and women, who have lost their lives trying to cross into Europe from Turkey, especially in the past 10 years following the outbreak of war in Syria.
It cannot be overlooked that some European countries that almost defend the rights of terrorists within the scope of human rights treat desperate, poor migrants that have fled war and persecution as if they are terrorists once they arrive at their borders. The increasing popularity of anti-migrant, racist politics in European countries in 2020 has pushed European states to make the issue of migration about security and implement policies that disregard human rights by showcasing a threat that in fact does not exist.
In fact, Turkey is one of the leading countries that could look at the issue from a security perspective, considering that irregular migration originates from countries bordering Turkey, making it the first country to encounter all kinds of threats ranging from terrorism to smuggling.
On the contrary, Turkey is not tackling the issue by opening fire on migrant boats and causing their deaths as its neighbor has been seen doing frequently in footage published by international media.
Turkey, which has adopted the motto “Let man live, and the state will also flourish,” is not experiencing the great irony and contradictions Europe faces between human rights, personal security and freedoms.
The scandalous policies of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), the agency responsible for securing Europe’s borders, as well as its attempts at hiding the realities, have not been successful.
In the article titled “Illegal pushbacks in the Aegean: How Frontex head Leggeri fooled the public” published on Nov. 26 in Der Spiegel, it was claimed that, according to Frontex’s internal correspondence, Frontex Director Fabrice Leggeri was aware of Greece pushing back migrants into the open sea but swept it under the rug. Furthermore, the article stated that it accessed a document from Frontex’s internal correspondence proving that Greece illegally pushed back migrants toward Turkish waters.
Earlier this week, Soylu on Twitter urged the European Union to hold Greece accountable for its “murders” of asylum-seekers. Soylu also shared a video showing migrants being rescued and one migrant recounting his experiences with Greek officers.
