EU begins deporting refugees

Refugees risk their lives at sea, but the EU just turns them back, photo Wikimedia Commons (Creative Commons)

Refugees risk their lives at sea, but the EU just turns them back, photo Wikimedia Commons (Creative Commons)   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

The first European Union (EU) boats deporting refugees arrived in Turkey from Greece on 4 April.

Europe’s capitalist powers have struck a deal with the viciously authoritarian Erdoğan regime. The EU offloads those fleeing war and terror – caused in part by its own foreign policy – to Turkey. In return, Turkey sends the EU ‘legitimate’ migrants, and receives billions of euros towards further militarising its borders.

What happens to refugees once Turkey receives them is unclear. What we do know is that Turkey’s President Erdoğan is implementing brutal austerity, and responds to dissent with bloody police repression.

The Socialist condemns the deportations, which are only the EU’s latest thuggery against refugees. Reverse all cuts – fund homes and jobs for all. Stop attacks on migrants. Vote to leave the bosses’ racist, neoliberal EU.

The Socialist will respond in more detail to this latest chapter in the refugee crisis in our next issue