EU-Turkey migrant deal concerns UN refugee agency

The UN refugee agency is expressing concern about a possible deal between the European Union and Turkey including the prospect of "blanket returns" of refugees from the bloc to Turkey.

UNHCR Europe bureau director Vincent Cochetel told reporters in Geneva that collective expulsion of foreigners is prohibited under international law.

Amid concerns in Europe about illegal migration into the continent, Mr Cochetel said he was "tired of hearing about irregular migrants" because 91% of those arriving in Greece are from war-torn countries like Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.

He noted that Turkey has done more to take in refugees than the EU and has become "the largest country of asylum in the world". Turkey is home to 2.75m refugees - chiefly from neighbouring Syria.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmed Davutoglu will continue talks with Greece on the migration crisis at a meeting planned in the Turkish coastal city of Izmir.

The two leaders will head talks on Tuesday at a joint meeting of cabinet ministers, hours after the European Union summit in Brussels outlined the deal that would see migrants being sent back from EU-member Greece to Turkey on a larger scale.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras flew directly to the Turkish city from Brussels to attend the talks.

Success of the European plan will hinge largely on implementation of a Greek-Turkish readmission agreement to accept the return of migrants not given refugee status.

Before leaving Brussels, Mr Tsipras said: "Our talks continue in Izmir, where I believe we will have a historic meeting, with a decision to amend the readmission agreement that sees Turkey take back all migrants who are not entitled to protection under international treaties."

Amnesty International warned that EU plans to designate Turkey as a safe country for migrants are "alarmingly short-sighted and inhumane" because Ankara does not properly care for them.

The head of the group's European office, Iverna McGowan, said: "Turkey has forcibly returned refugees to Syria and many refugees in the country live in desperate conditions without adequate housing."

She said that "by no stretch of imagination can Turkey be considered a 'safe third country' that the EU can cosily outsource its obligations to".

The head of the EU parliament's Civil Liberties Committee Claude Moraes said members will meet with Greek and EU officials "to ensure that basic conditions for asylum claims are met".

He said: "It is important that the EU does not ignore its values in the face of people fleeing war and persecution by simply creating push-backs."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that, under the proposed deal, migrants who come to Europe illegally will get sent back and have to join the end of the queue to enter Europe.

Mrs Merkel said the plan would make it unattractive for migrants to pay people smugglers to take them to Greece.

She said "whoever comes illegally won't then be among those who can come to Europe, at least not among the first but rather they'll have to join the end of the queue".

UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon said he is worried by increasingly tough European asylum policies, growing anti-refugee rhetoric and attacks on migrants.

During a visit to Berlin he said: "Extreme right-wing and nationalistic political parties are inflaming the situation where we need to be seeking solutions, harmonious solutions based on shared responsibilities."

Speaking after his meeting with Mrs Merkel, Mr Ban also said he is "deeply worried by growing anti-migrant and anti-refugee rhetoric and by violent attacks against these communities".

He said the European Union "can do much more" in the migrant crisis.