Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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627. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to report on the European Union agreement with Turkey on refugees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6849/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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Turkey has a key role to play if the current Migration crisis is to be resolved, since the majority of migrants currently entering the EU transit Turkey. The EU and Turkey have engaged deeply on developing joint approaches and the EU’s engagement with Turkey was the focus of the most recent European Council on 17 and 18 March 2016.

The discussions at the European Council were framed by the set of principles agreed at the previous EU meeting with the Turkish Prime Minister, on 7 March. In the interim, European Council President Tusk had advanced work to elaborate the details of a potential agreement, to ensure that partners’ concerns were addressed and that the proposed deal was compatible with EU and international law.

The joint statement agreed between the two sides commits Turkey to readmit from Greece all irregular migrants and to protect them in accordance with international standards; to tackle people smugglers; and to help prevent new migratory routes to the EU opening up. For its part, the EU will resettle Syrians currently in Turkey on a “one-for-one” basis where other Syrians are returned from Greece.

In addition, visa liberalisation for Turkish citizens travelling to the Schengen countries will be accelerated, as will preparations to open new EU accession negotiation chapters – but in both cases existing criteria will continue to apply. The EU is also committed to deciding on further financial assistance for refugees in Turkey, in addition to the €3 billion already agreed. The European Council also agreed to work together to improve humanitarian conditions inside Syria so that safe areas might be established there. The European Union has also put in place humanitarian aid to assist with the provision for asylum seekers and refugees in Greece.

The core intention of this agreement is to break the business model of the people smugglers who are profiting from the suffering of the vulnerable, and to stop migrants attempting the treacherous journey across the Aegean.

It is unlikely that this agreement alone will resolve the Migration crisis. It will not stop people leaving Syria, and it will not prevent people from wanting to come to Europe. But, if implemented as planned, it should help to manage the flow of asylum seekers more effectively, more humanely and more fairly.