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SARAJEVO, March 3 (FENA) - Situation at the border between Turkey and Greece is alarming and could turn into an uncontrolled humanitarian crisis, since thousands of people fleeing war, persecution or poverty arrived there. Consistently in such situation, Bosnia and Herzegovina will face a real humanitarian crisis, Amnesty International (AI) stated for FENA.
Accommodation capacities for refugees and migrants in BiH already reached their maximum. If the number of people coming to BiH increases, which is only a matter of time, and Croatia continues to prevent entry, BiH will face a real humanitarian crisis, AI warns in a statement for FENA on the current situation with migrants on the route from Turkey to Europe and beyond BiH.
Considering that inhumane measures used by the Greek authorities, including excessive force measures, tear gas, water cannons to prevent the arrival of people into their territory, AI said that it represents avoidance of accountability and human rights violations, which would inevitably endanger lives of people who are already very vulnerable.
Greece, like several other EU Member States, has decided to temporary close its borders completely and suspend the asylum procedure for those entering the country illegally, which is completely against Greece's international obligations.
Emphasizing that all persons have the right to seek asylum and individually evaluate claims, Amnesty International stated that the deportation of people without the procedure could result that these people are brought into a war zone from which they have fled or countries where they will be exposed to human rights violations, which is contrary to one of the basic principles in international law, such as EU laws - which is the principle that no one should return to where he or she would be subjected to torture or inhumane treatment (non-refoulement).
The current crisis is the inevitable outcome of the 2016 EU-Turkey agreement, whose sole aim was to prevent further EU entry regardless of the consequences.
In the long term, the only solution to the current situation is a new agreement at European Union level that provides safe and legal roads for people fleeing war, violence or poverty, Amnesty International estimates. Member States must show more solidarity and do much more to share responsibility for taking on people who need international protection, because it is not fair - nor sustainable - for countries at external borders such as Italy and Greece to bear all the responsibility of hundreds of thousands of people who are currently almost imprisoned in them.
At this point, it is important to take urgent action so that the situation at the Greek-Turkish border does not escalate further. Greek authorities must stop using violence at the border with Turkey and must withdraw measures to allow asylum access to people in need. In addition, the European Union must send emergency humanitarian aid to refugees, migrants and asylum seekers who are currently practically trapped on the Turkish-Greek border and living in totally inadequate conditions - without food and without any protection.
Securing borders cannot be the only solution, AI warns.
Prevention, collective expulsions and violence at the borders of the European Union, like what we see on a daily basis at the border between Croatia and BiH, are in favor of smugglers and lead people who are desperate to use even riskier routes, AI concludes in a statement for FENA.
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