土耳其公民可能很快就能享受前往欧洲的免签证待遇,这是欧盟和安卡拉为遏止难民流动而达成协议的一部分。作为回报,土耳其承诺打击人口贩运,并将移民留在土耳其境内。
然而,许多欧洲议员威胁要在免签证问题上动用否决权,阻止这一移民协议。
欧盟数据显示,今年3月抵达希腊岛屿的难民略多于2.6万人,不到2月份总人数的一半。欧盟官员说,这说明与安卡拉之间的协议正在起作用。
土耳其表示,他们正按计划在6月份的最后期限前满足欧洲提出的所有条件,并坚称免签证条款是移民协议中不容商量的部分。
但在德国,分析人士说,人们担心会有大批库尔德人从土耳其涌来,寻求庇护,这种担心加强了民众对反移民主张的支持。
右翼政客希望从对移民恐惧中获益之际,布鲁塞尔的一些议员则威胁要设法以人权问题为由阻止土耳其的移民协议。
大赦国际指责安卡拉将数百名未注册的难民强行送回叙利亚,甚至对试图非法越境的叙利亚人开枪。
Turkish citizens could soon benefit from visa-free travel to Europe, as part of the deal between the EU and Ankara to stem the flow of refugees. In return, Turkey has pledged to crack down on the smugglers and keep the migrants on Turkish soil.
However, many European lawmakers have threatened to use their veto on the visa issue to block the migrant deal.
European Union figures show just over 26,000 refugees arrived on the Greek islands in March — less than half of February’s total. EU officials point to those numbers as proof that the deal with Ankara is working.
Turkey says it is on track to meet all the criteria laid down by Europe ahead of the June deadline — and insists visa-free travel is a non-negotiable part of the migrant deal.
But in Germany, analysts say fears over a wave of Kurdish asylum seekers from Turkey are driving up anti-immigration support.
While right-wing politicians look to benefit from fears of migration, some lawmakers in Brussels have threatened to try to block the deal with Turkey over human rights concerns.
Amnesty International accuses Ankara of forcefully returning hundreds of unregistered refugees back to Syria — and even of shooting Syrians trying to cross the border illegally.