After the closing of borders and the Balkan refugee route, hundreds of refugees found themselves trapped in that area, their movement has been completely or partially restricted and a large number of them has been prevented from seeking international protection and reuniting with their families, heard the debate, organised by the Centre for Peace Studies, the Welcome! initiative and the Group 484.

Activist Emina Buzinkic said the Turkey-EU agreement could not be implemented, adding that the quota system for the redistribution of refugees trapped in Italy and Greece was falling apart.

Approximately 1.7 million refugees are currently in European countries, while Turkey alone has about four million, so EU countries could do a lot more for refugees with the six million euros than Turkey for whom this amount has been allocated, Buzinkic said.

Turkey is not a safe country, because a large number of refugees there are in detention, Turkey is sending refugees back to Syria which represents a violation of their human rights and the Turkish army opened fire on refugees and killed several dozen, Buzinkic stressed, adding that Turkey is not entirely a signatory to the Geneva convention and that it was among the leading countries when it came to the number of political prisoners and the violation of freedom of speech and the media.

AUTHOR: HINA