UNHCR stresses EU-Turkey refugees deal must respect rights
The United Nations refugee agency says Turkey must do more to ensure that all people seeking asylum there can have their claims efficiently assessed within a fair period of time.
The assessment came in a UNHCR legal note, seen by The Associated Press on Monday, examining the European Union's planned deal with Ankara to send thousands of migrants in Greece back to Turkey.
The note said efforts must continue "to ensure that all people seeking international protection can have a fair and efficient determination of their claims by a competent authority within a reasonable time."
The UNHCR said agreements like the one the EU and Turkey hope to finalize by Friday should "be guided and framed by international and regional obligations, to ensure their sustainability and respect for the rights of affected individuals."
It noted that Turkey is home to 2.7 million Syrian refugees, only 10 percent of them sheltered in camps.
[AP]
