Turkey deal creaking as migrant tide surges again

TURKEY’S failed coup has led to a fresh migrant surge raising fears that the country’s agreement with the EU is crumbling.

The number of refugees fleeing to Greece from the country has soared since the bloody attempt to topple President Erdogan last month.

A total of 1,367 arrived in Greece in the first two weeks of August, compared with 1,721 in the entire month of May, figures show.

Aid agency Save The Children said that arrivals to the Greek islands during the past two weeks were up by 144 per cent compared with the same period in the previous month.

Average daily arrivals on the islands have risen sharply from 56 in May to 90 in August, the charity said. It added that the increase was partly down to insecurity since the abortive coup in Ankara.

The figures had dropped dramatically from a daily average of about 2,500 arrivals before the deal between Turkey and the EU in March.

But charities say the new rise means the migrant crisis is in danger of going ‘back to square one’.

It underlines growing fears that Ankara is failing in its agreement to stem the tide of illegal migration passing into EU countries through its borders.

More than a million people have crossed the Mediterranean to Europe in the past year, sending shockwaves across the region.

Including those on the islands, there are now 57,679 migrants stranded in Greece, up from about 42,000 in March. More than 10,700 of those are on the country’s eastern Aegean islands.

Many are living in heavily over- crowded and squalid camps. Around 3,800 of those stranded on the islands are children. Save The Children warned that refugee women and children were living in ‘demoralising and unsafe conditions’.

Katie Dimmer, the charity’s director of operations in Greece, said: ‘We’re nearly back at square one.

‘As the number of arrivals creeps up again, we’re starting to see scenes reminiscent of last summer.

‘Except this time, most asylum seekers are trapped on the islands in overcrowded facilities.’

Only 20 of the 88,000 unaccompanied child refugees across Europe have so far been allowed to the UK, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said yesterday.

This is despite pledges by the Tory government to rescue many children living in squalid camps.

Mr Farron added: ‘This is a stain on the conscience of Theresa May and it is a stain on Britain’s reputation.’

Spyros Mitrisakis, head of the Lifeguard Hellas mission, said of the soaring figures: ‘The numbers are growing again and we’re concerned.

‘We’re considering setting up an additional rescue zone.’

In March, the EU pledged to work towards visa-free travel for Turks to Europe’s Schengen zone in exchange for Turkey’s assistance in curbing the number of migrants crossing from the country over to the Greek islands.

Since the EU signed a deal with Turkey to halt the influx, the numbers have dropped dramatically but there are fears the reduction may not be sustainable.

Concerns have been raised that if Turkey fails to stem the flow the EU will refuse to relax visa rules by October, threatening the whole deal.

And after a Turkish crackdown following the attempted coup, it is less likely to go ahead.

‘Reminiscent of last summer’