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At least one of Turkey’s border is now being controlled more tightly. Following an agreement with the European Union, Turkey is cracking down on people smuggling and curbing the flow of refugees to Greece.
Three smugglers and 1,300 Afghans, Iranians, Iraqis, and Syrians were apprehended near Ayvacık, a Turkish town to the north of the Greek island of Lesbos on 30 November.
The UN reports that 425,000 people were smuggled from Turkey to Lesbos this year alone, and 300,000 more to other Greek islands. The EU has been highly critical of Turkey for not doing enough to stem the flow of refugees through its borders.
On 29 November, the EU has pledged over $3 billion to Turkey in exchange for tightening border security and stemming the flow of refugees.
Turkey claims that since 2014 it has apprehended over 200 smugglers and stopped nearly 80,000 refugees from departing to Europe, but this may be the biggest anti-smuggling operation Turkey has conducted.
Arrests of this magnitude – over 1,000 people in one day – indicate that Turkey is serious about keeping its side of the deal. But with the largest population of refugees – estimates suggest between 1.8 and 2.2 million Syrian refugees staying in the country-, it is uncertain whether they can all be prevented from risking the perilous journey.
As one smuggler told the Guardian, “It’s the Syrians who determine whether they’ll go or not. The people risking the journey from Damascus, they’re the ones who are making this happen. Anyone who wants to go will go.”
