Scathing criticism for EU over Syrian refugee policies

Jerome Hughes
Press TV, Brussels

Once again the subject of EU asylum policy has been debated in the European Parliament. This time the focus was on reports that refugees are being forced to move from Turkey into war-torn northeastern Syria. 

The European Commission says the EU would never fund such returns but scepticism surrounds this pledge. In 2015 the bloc gave six billion euro to Ankara as part of what would become the EU-Turkey deal. Campaigners say the aim was to prevent desperate refugees from reaching the EU.

Rights groups accuse the EU of breaking international laws by creating a so-called 'Fortress Europe' but some believe tight border controls are necessary given that so many EU citizens travelled to Syria and Iraq to join Daesh.

Out of the 5.6 million Syrian refugees in the world, Turkey is hosting 3.7 million, according to the UN.

Critics of US and EU foreign policy claim the West should be doing a lot more to help Syrians given its devastating role in destabilising the country and bringing misery to so many millions.

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