Via Daily Sabah – Daily Sabah published an article accusing foreign NGO’s active in Turkey “trying to degenerate the culture of Syrian refugees”, by teaching their children “how to become free”. The author, Yunus Paksoy, writes that “some vulnerable Syrians think that such foreign NGOs are being insensitive while others claim that they have a hidden agenda.”
Via Hurriyet Daily News – Tens of thousands of displaced Syrians have returned to an area which was cleared of terrorists by Turkey and Turkish-backed opposition fighters in northern Syria, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said April 1.
Via Ekathimerini – As the inflow of undocumented migrants to the islands of the eastern Aegean rises with the improving weather, the government is planning action to ease the pressure on increasingly overcrowded reception centers.
In the coming days, Migration Minister Yiannis Mouzalas is expected to issue a circular, banning migrants who appeal against a rejection of their application for political asylum from a voluntary repatriation scheme being run by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Via Komnews– There has been a significant surge in Turkish diplomats and military officials seeking refuge in European countries after last year’s attempted coup as the number of applications continues to rise.
According to figures from Germany’s Federal Department for Immigration and Refugees, the number of asylum applications from individuals in possession of Turkish diplomatic passports has reached 292. According to figures given by Turkey’s Interior Ministry, this figure stood at 136 in February of this year.
Via Ekathimerini – Migration Minister Yiannis Mouzalas said on Friday that the situation at migrant camps in Chios has reached breaking point. Speaking to Parliament in the aftermath of a suicide attempt of migrant that set himself on fire, Mouzalas said “the situation on Chios is exceeding its limits.”
Via AlJazeera– A Syrian refugee is in critical condition after what appeared to be a self-immolation attempt on the Greek island of Chios, according to medical sources.
The incident happened around 2pm local time on Thursday inside the Vial detention centre.
Via AlJazeera – UN report says Turkey now hosts nearly three million Syrians, with 47,000 more coming since February alone. The first three months of 2017 saw more than 250,000 additional Syrians register as refugees bringing the total to 5.1 million, the UN’s refugee agency UNHCR said on its website, without providing an explanation for the apparent surge.
Via Greekreporter – Ten Syrians were returned to Adana, Turkey on a flight from Greece on Wednesday, in accordance with the EU-Turkey Statement on migration. The group included five men, one woman and four children.
via ethnos.gr(translation from Greek) – In a nine hours long action two people from Algeria swam from Cesme to direction Chios, until the Hellenic Coast Guard spotted them and picked them up. Two two showed signs of fatique and hypothermia, so they were immediately brought to a hospital, where they were being treated. The two could not afford to pay for the crossing by rubber boat, so they decided to swim. Continue reading Two refugees attempted to swim to Chios→
Via Ekathimerini – An increasing number of Turkish nationals have been finding their way to Greece since the failed coup attempt in the neighboring country and the mass purges that followed. More specifically, 236 Turks requested political asylum in Greece from last July until February.
