German chancellor hails Türkiye-EU cooperation on migration

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday praised the 2016 Türkiye-EU agreement as an effective instrument in curbing illegal migration.

“I believe that the agreement with Türkiye has been very helpful in recent years,” Scholz told reporters on the sidelines of the summit meeting of 50 European leaders in Granada, Spain.

“And therefore it is also right that the (EU) President and the Commission are currently negotiating the continuation of this agreement with Turkey, so that we can continue to use it as a basis for our relationship,” he added.

The EU-Türkiye migration agreement, which was signed in March 2016, significantly reduced the flow of migrants into Europe via the Aegean Sea and contributed to saving many lives. However, various problems related to the agreement’s implementation led to criticism from both sides.

Ankara has repeatedly criticized its European partners for not honoring their political commitments, and not providing adequate financial resources for sharing the burden of the refugee crisis.

Meanwhile, the German chancellor welcomed again the latest EU asylum compromise.

“I am very happy that an agreement has recently been reached on the issue of a common asylum policy. This was urgently needed. For us it is clear that it is about control and management, especially when it comes to irregular migration. At the same time, it is also about the fact that we need skilled workers,” Scholz said.

In other related news, Poland and Hungary have blocked a planned declaration on migration policy and other strategically important issues at the EU summit in Granada, Spain.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced on social media platform X: “I have decided to veto the part about migration.”

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced further resistance to plans for an EU asylum reform, which stipulates an obligation to show solidarity with countries particularly affected by migration. From his point of view, there is no longer any chance of compromises and agreements after Hungary and Poland have been “legally raped.”​​​​​​​

Orban alluded to the fact that important decisions for the planned reform of the European asylum system were recently made by majority vote against the will of Hungary and Poland.