BERLIN, JUN 21 – Germany‘s Foreign Minister Heiko Maas is calling for the European Union‘s refugee deal with Turkey to get an update.
“We need an update to our migration cooperation with Turkey,” Maas told Die Welt newspaper in comments published Monday.
The EU has a great interest in the migration deal with Ankara being further developed and updated, he said.
“In all the difficulties we have with the Turkish government, we must acknowledge that the country has taken on a not inconsiderable migration burden for us,” Maas said.
A new agreement would require the EU to provide further funding for Turkey.
“I don’t want to put any numbers out into the world, but it is completely clear that it won’t work without money,” Maas said.
Among other things, the refugee deal between the EU and Turkey provides for Ankara to crack down on unauthorized migration to the EU and for Greece to send migrants who have reached the Aegean islands illegally back to Turkey.
In return, the EU takes one Syrian refugee from Turkey for every Syrian sent back and provides financial support to the country to care for refugees.
