Turkish refugee deal

The agreement reached between the European Union and Turkey yesterday on how the refugee crisis might be resolved has been described as “cynical” and an example of how European leaders “have completely lost track of reality”.

It is always easy to be critical, but a practical, sustainable resolution of this crisis is far harder to construct, deliver, and sustain than is desireable. Ask Chancellor Merkel.

Yesterday’s deal, involving increased EU aid of €6bn to Turkey and a new deal on visas for Turks, will hardly be the final play and much more will have to be done to make one of the inevitable realities of the next few decades — immigration from poor, war-torn, climate change-hit countries to rich countries — manageable. It was also inevitable that Turkey would use this crisis to force renewed consideration of its ambitions to be a full member of the EU.