Turkey designated a ‘safe country’ for asylum seekers

Turkey has been designated as a safe country for asylum seekers from Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Somalia, according to a Joint Ministerial Decision issued by the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry for Migration and Asylum.

The decision was based on a recent recommendation by Greece’s Asylum service and all the latest information regarding the living conditions and human rights enjoyed by these particular groups of asylum seekers. According to the recommendation, people who belong to these groups face no risk on the grounds of race, religion, nationality, political belief or social status.

Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis hailed the development “as an important step in dealing with illegal migration flows (toward the European Union) and the criminal activity of smuggling rackets.”