MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The European Union will begin returning undocumented migrants on March 20 as part of a deal reached with Turkey, Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said Friday.
“The agreement with Turkey has been approved. All illegal immigrants arriving in Greece from Turkey to return back starting from 20.3 [March 20],” Sobotka tweeted from the European Council in Brussels.
The deal w/ Turkey approved by #EUCO. Sunday is the cutoff day. https://t.co/4ywysva3KM
— Tomas Prouza (@CZSecStateEU) 18 марта 2016 г.
According to the provisional agreement, Brussels pledged to accept every approved Syrian refugee for every undocumented migrant returned to Turkey on a one-for-one basis.
Europe is currently tackling a major migrant crisis as thousands of people are traveling across the Mediterranean Sea from conflict-torn countries in North Africa, the Middle East, and Central and South Asia, to find safe haven in European countries.