EU urges Turkiye to probe claims of refugee abuse, forced deportations

BRUSSELS, Belgium: The European Union on Friday called on Turkiye to investigate claims of abuse of refugees in EU-funded centres, and forced deportations to Afghanistan and Syria reported by a journalism consortium.

The EU has thrown billions of euros at Turkiye to stem the flow of migrants to Europe, including millions spent to support Ankara with border security and asylum processing.

In Friday´s wide-ranging investigation by Lighthouse Reports with outlets including Der Spiegel, Le Monde and Politico, dozens of migrants accused Turkish officials of abuses in EU-funded detention centres and forced returns to Afghanistan and Syria.

They also reported that the European Commission, the bloc´s executive arm, “repeatedly ignored warnings” from civil society, diplomats, and “even its own staff” as the EU provided funding for the centres housing migrants.

But a commission spokesperson said “the enforcement and the protection of these formal rights remain the responsibility” of Turkiye.

“It is the responsibility of the Turkish authorities to thoroughly investigate allegations of wrongdoing, and we urge them to do so,” spokesperson Ana Pisonero said.

“If we receive evidence of breaches of human rights or other fundamental values related to any EU-funded programme, then of course, we will address the situation,” she told reporters in Brussels.