Migrants in Greek custody at the border with Turkey on Tuesday – AFP
EU leaders visit Greece as migrant stand-off with Turkey continues
Top European officials are visiting Greece’s border with Turkey to assess the new crisis over refugees and migrants trying to enter the EU.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council chief Charles Michel and European Parliament speaker David Sassoli arrived on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is hoping for support for Greece’s tough line on defending its borders.
Turkey lifted controls on migrants exiting for the EU on Friday.
It took the decision after suffering a heavy military loss in north-west Syria, where it has been trying to create a safe area to resettle millions of Syrian refugees it took in during the ongoing civil war.
At least 24,000 people have been stopped from crossing the border from Turkey since Saturday, according to Greek government figures.
Austrian Prime Minister Sebastian Kurz has accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of using the migrants as pawns. He also announced that his government had strengthened Austria’s borders to make sure the mass influx of refugees and migrants of 2015 was not repeated.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell is due to visit Ankara to discuss Turkey’s decision to drop restrictions on migrants, abandoning a deal struck in 2016.
What was the 2016 EU-Turkey deal?
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