EuroNews – Some 325 migrants have been deported to Turkey from the Greek island of Lesbos under an EU deal. They wait to learn of their fate inside a fenced reception and removal centre in the town of Pehlivankoy. The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) says it has yet to gain access to the facility. Migrants from Pakistan, Egypt, Afghanistan and Iraq call for freedom from behind the facility’s barred windows. They were deported from Lesbos on Friday (April 8) under the controversial EU-Turkey deal to stem mass irregular migration to Europe.

Platanos Refugee Solidarity Lesvos – Today at the break of dawn began the second process of deportation, from the harbour of Mitilini, while 174 individuals (100 from Kos, 29 from Samos and 45 from Mitilini) were led to Dikeli, accompanied by an equal number of body guards, that each one was in charge of the “safety” of the transported. Since the night before, the harbour of Mitilini was closed off by forces of Riot police. As the hours passed the presence of police in the area became progressively more intense.

Reuters – Turkey’s parliament approved overnight an agreement enabling Ankara to repatriate Pakistani migrants, as people continue to be sent to Turkey from Greece as part of an EU deal to stem mass migration to Europe. Pakistani migrants are among those that have already been sent back to Turkey under the deal.

Anadolu Agency – Nearly one-third of Turkey’s rocket-resistant concrete wall being built along the border with Syria has been completed, Turkish security sources told Anadolu Agency Thursday. Out of the 911-kilometer long planned wall, 300 kilometers is complete, sources said. 

Turkish Interior Ministry gave nearly 250 million Turkish liras to governorates of border provinces of Sirnak, Mardin, Sanliurfa, Kilis, Gaziantep and Hatay for the construction of the wall, sources said.  So far, the wall along Hatay and Sanliurfa has been mostly completed. The wall, which is expected to get completed next year, will be two-meter wide and three-meter high with seven-ton modular concrete blocks. According to the same sources, razor wire fences would also be placed along the border.

Yeni Şafak – Turkish Defense Ministry said that it plans to establish a smart tower every 300 meters along the border with Syria to prevent illegal crossing. Turkey has already sealed hundreds of kilometers of the border, either with concrete blocks or wire fencing. In the border city of Kilis, the construction of a concrete wall is nearly complete as the ministry started to build smart watch towers at 300-meter intervals.