Germany, Turkiye at odds over migrant deportation deal

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attend a press conference at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, November 17, 2023. (REUTERS)
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Updated 28 September 2024
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Germany, Turkiye at odds over migrant deportation deal

  • Germany’s relations are sensitive with Turkiye, a fellow NATO member and home to Europe’s largest Turkish diaspora of some three million people

BERLIN: Germany said Friday it had agreed a plan with Turkiye under which Berlin will step up deportations of failed Turkish asylum seekers, but Ankara denied any such deal had been struck.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser posted on X that “we have now reached a point where returns to Turkiye can be carried out more quickly and effectively and that Turkiye will more speedily take back citizens who are not allowed to stay in Germany.
“This is another building block in limiting irregular migration.”
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) daily reported that Turkiye had offered to soon take back up to 500 citizens per week on “special flights.”
In return, Germany would ease visa rules for Turkish citizens wanting to visit the EU country for holidays or business trips, it said.
The FAZ report said the plan had been agreed after months of talks between the offices of Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The German interior ministry declined to officially comment on the details of the reports when contacted by AFP.
But later Friday, Turkiye’s foreign ministry said the reports “regarding the return of our citizens who do not have a legal right to reside in Germany to Turkiye is not true.
“No practice of mass deportation of our citizens has been authorized,” a ministry spokesman said in a message on social media platform X.

There has been heated debate about irregular immigration in Germany and other EU member states.
Germany’s relations are sensitive with Turkiye, a fellow NATO member and home to Europe’s largest Turkish diaspora of some three million people.
Many of them are part of the wave of so-called “guest workers” invited to Germany in the 1960s and 1970s, and their descendants.
The Scholz government has been under heightened pressure after a series of violent crimes and extremist attacks committed by asylum seekers.
The debate has fueled the rise of the far-right and anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party a year ahead of national elections.
The FAZ reported that an initial 200 Turkish citizens would be flown out to Turkiye on several scheduled flights leaving from a number of airports.
Beyond that, it said Turkiye had offered to take back up to 500 citizens per week from Germany on what would be declared “special flights” rather than charter flights.
The daily said the number of Turkish asylum requests in Germany rose sharply last year, with most applicants declaring they were members of the Kurdish minority.
This year, Turkish citizens accounted for the third-largest number of requests for asylum, after those from Syria and Afghanistan.
However, only a small minority of recent applications by Turkish nationals have been successful.
According to Germany’s interior ministry, the number of Turkish nationals in Germany required to leave has topped 15,000.
However, fewer than 900 were deported last year and thousands received stays of deportation, often because they declared they lacked valid travel documents, FAZ said.
 

 


Israeli forces fatally shoot 20-year-old Palestinian man near Jenin

Updated 2 sec ago
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Israeli forces fatally shoot 20-year-old Palestinian man near Jenin

  • Youssef Walid Sheikh Ibrahim killed close to military checkpoint
  • 42 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched offensive in town

LONDON: A Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli forces on Monday evening near the town of Ya’abd in Jenin governorate, north of the occupied West Bank.

The Ministry of Health reported that Youssef Walid Sheikh Ibrahim, 20, from the town of Kafr Ra’i, died after being shot by Israeli forces near a military checkpoint close to the illegal settlement of Mevo Dotan, and his body was detained.

A total of 42 Palestinians have been killed since Israeli forces launched a military campaign in Jenin town and its refugee camp in January, according to the WAFA news agency.

Since October 2023, Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank have killed nearly 1,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians.

On Sunday, hundreds of Palestinians from Al-Mazraa Al-Sharqiya attended the funeral of Saif Al-Din Kamil Abdul Karim Musalat, 20, and Mohammed Rizq Hussein Al-Shalabi, 23, who were killed by Israeli settlers last week.

About 1 million Israelis live in illegal settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in violation of international law. Their attacks against Palestinians have escalated since 2023, with 820 recorded by rights groups in the first half of this year.


Iraq plans to build 10 dams to harvest desert rains, as drought displaces 10,000 families in Dhi Qar

Updated 15 min 2 sec ago
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Iraq plans to build 10 dams to harvest desert rains, as drought displaces 10,000 families in Dhi Qar

  • As water levels in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers dwindle, the aim is to store rainwater and floodwater to help boost strategic reserves
  • Dhi Qar Governorate is experiencing one of its worst summers, with severe water shortages and drought forcing people in rural areas to migrate

LONDON: Iraq has announced plans to build 10 dams to harvest water in desert areas, as part of an urgent strategy to boost water security amid dwindling supplies.

The effects of climate change and the construction of dams in neighboring countries, including Turkiye, have significantly affected water levels of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which are vital lifelines for Iraqis.

The Iraqi minister of water resources, Awn Dhiab Abdullah, said on Monday that the dams would store floodwater and rainwater in the desert to build up strategic reserves, especially in provinces lacking in surface-water resources.

“The shortage the country is experiencing is the most dangerous in its history, forcing 12 provinces to rely exclusively on groundwater to cover their various needs,” he said.

Dhi Qar, which is in southern Iraq, has experienced one of its worst summers on record, with severe water shortages and drought forcing nearly 10,000 families in rural areas to abandon their homes and migrate to urban areas.

Abdullah said that more than half of Iraq’s desert region relies on groundwater supplies. He emphasized the importance of water-harvesting projects and the need to reduce dependence on traditional sources.


Iraqis face difficult return from Syria camp for Daesh families

Updated 33 min 15 sec ago
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Iraqis face difficult return from Syria camp for Daesh families

MOSUL: After years in a Syrian detention camp, Ibrahim Darwish was relieved to be allowed to return home to Iraq, but his joy was quickly punctured by the harsh reality that he had to disown his sons accused of being militants.

“All I wanted was to return to Iraq,” the 64-year-old said of his time in the Kurdish-controlled Al-Hol camp, where family members of suspected Daesh fighters are held in prison-like conditions alongside refugees and displaced people.

But back home in Iraq, “I had to disown my sons. My house is gone,” he said. “I am back to square one.”

Thousands of Iraqi returnees from the camp have faced major obstacles reintegrating into their communities, their perceived affiliation with Daesh casting a dark shadow over their prospects.

They described armed groups and local authorities in some areas pressuring returnees to cut ties with relatives suspected of Daesh links as a precondition for going home or obtaining essential documents.

A lawyer for many returnees equated the pledges of disownment to denunciations, “essentially complaints by one family member against another.”

He also warned of a widespread misconception among returnees that they must comply in order to obtain identity cards and other government papers.

But a senior Iraqi official insisted that the authorities supported reintegration, including when it came to the issuance of documents.

Requesting “disownment statements has become illegal, and anyone who asks for it should be reported,” the official said.

Darwish said he was allowed to leave Al-Hol after receiving Iraqi security clearance and support from his tribal leader.

Back in Iraq, he spent the first several months at Al-Jadaa camp, presented by the authorities as a “rehabilitation” center where returnees wait for further permission to return home.

There, “we felt the most welcome,” Darwish said.

But when it was time to go home to Salaheddin province, Darwish said local authorities told him he first had to disown his sons, who are locked away on suspicion of joining Daesh — a charge he denies.

Reluctantly, he complied.

Otherwise, “how was I going to farm my land and make ends meet?” he said.

In the northern city of Mosul, one woman in her thirties said she was afraid to return to her hometown in Salaheddin, where her father was arrested upon his arrival and later passed away in prison.

She is currently squatting with her sister and children in a dilapidated house, living in fear of eviction.

When the family first returned to Iraq, she said, people “looked at us differently, just because we came from Al-Hol.”

Now her concern is obtaining new identity cards, which are essential for accessing healthcare, education and employment, and she fears she will have to disown her husband to do so.

The authorities, she said, “did well” by bringing them back from Al-Hol, where many speak of increased violence, but they must now solve the issue of reintegration.

“We need them to support us so we can stand on our feet,” she added.

Thanassis Cambanis, director of New York-based Century International, said the returnees “face a murky future,” especially since some of those tarred as Daesh families are denied documentation.

“At a minimum, collective punishment of the Daesh families is an injustice and a moral error,” Cambanis warned.

“At a maximum, Iraq’s policy creates a ripe pool of potential recruits for violent sectarian extremists.”

While many countries refuse to repatriate their nationals from Al-Hol, Baghdad has so far brought back around 17,000 people, mostly women and children.

Local and international organizations facilitated reintegration. The Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund, a Geneva-registered organization that focuses on preventing extremism, supports several centers that have so far assisted around 6,000 returnees.

According to the fund’s Kevin Osborne, the centers provide services such as psychosocial support and vocational training.

But the growing number of returnees requires “expanded support to adequately prepare communities and enable smooth, sustainable reintegration,” Osborne said.

Noran Mahmood, of the GCREF-supported Iraqi Institution for Development, said many returnees fear “society’s refusal” to welcome them, as if having spent time in Al-Hol is a “disgrace.”

Her organization in Mosul provides counselling for the many returnees who suffer from depression, insomnia and anxiety.

Rahaf, 24, is one of the many women receiving help after years of accumulated trauma.

With the organization’s assistance, she achieved her long-held dream of furthering her education, enrolling in middle school.

“I feel successful,” she said. “I want to become a lawyer or a teacher.”


Egypt says Israel-EU agreement has not increased aid to Gaza

Palestinians react as they ask for food from a charity kitchen, amid a hunger crisis, in Gaza City, July 14, 2025. (Reuters)
Updated 38 min 56 sec ago
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Egypt says Israel-EU agreement has not increased aid to Gaza

  • “There is a real catastrophe happening in Gaza resulting from the continuation of the Israeli siege,” Safadi said
  • Israel’s continued military operations and blockade have left the entire population of 2.3 million people in Gaza facing acute food insecurity

BRUSSELS: Egypt’s foreign minister said on Monday that the flow of aid into Gaza has not increased despite an agreement last week between Israel and the European Union that should have had that result.
“Nothing has changed (on the ground),” Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told reporters ahead of the EU-Middle East meeting in Brussels on Monday.
The EU’s top diplomat said on Thursday that the bloc and Israel agreed to improve Gaza’s humanitarian situation, including increasing the number of aid trucks and opening crossing points and aid routes.
Asked what steps Israel has taken, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar referred to an understanding with the EU but did not provide details on implementation.
Asked if there were improvements after the agreement, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told reporters that the situation in Gaza remains “catastrophic.”
“There is a real catastrophe happening in Gaza resulting from the continuation of the Israeli siege,” he said.
Safadi said Israel allowed the entry of 40 to 50 trucks days ago from Jordan but that was “far from being sufficient” for the besieged enclave.
EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ahead of Monday’s meeting that there have been some signs of progress on Gaza aid but not enough improvement on the ground.
Israel’s continued military operations and blockade have left the entire population of 2.3 million people in Gaza facing acute food insecurity, with nearly half a million at risk of famine by the end of September, a joint United Nations report said last month.


Lebanese army shuts illegal crossings along border with Syria

Updated 14 July 2025
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Lebanese army shuts illegal crossings along border with Syria

  • The routes had become havens for human trafficking, smuggling drugs, weapons
  • Army using mounds of earth, rocks to stop vehicles, source says

BEIRUT: A patrol from the Lebanese army and the Intelligence Directorate on Monday closed several smuggling routes in Masharih Al-Qaa, a region between Lebanon and Syria that lacks clearly defined borders.

A Lebanese military source said the area was used for smuggling goods, fuel and people and that the army head “erected dirt mounds and rocks to prevent the passage of vehicles and motorcycles.”

The border between Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic stretches about 375 km and runs through towns, villages and mountainous regions. The Lebanese government estimates there to be 136 illegal crossing points, of which more than half are in the Bekaa region.

A shortage of personnel and surveillance equipment means many of these areas are vulnerable to criminal activity, including human trafficking and the smuggling of weapons, drugs and other goods.

These open borders have served the interests of Hezbollah and Palestinian factions allied with Syria. Over the years, Hezbollah has established its own border crossings and helped protect others used by smugglers from its support base.

Palestinian factions also established their border posts, which served as channels for weapons and people. Dismantling them was the first task undertaken by the Lebanese army in implementing the policy of confining weapons to the hands of the state.

The army on Sunday denied claims made on social media that armed men had entered Lebanon from Syria via the eastern mountain range and that it had withdrawn from border areas in the Bekaa.

Military units “continue to carry out their routine missions to control the Lebanese-Syrian border, while also monitoring the internal security situation to prevent any breach,” it said.

It also appealed for “accuracy in reporting news related to the army and the security situation, to act responsibly and to refrain from spreading rumors that lead to tension among citizens.”

Since the regime change in Syria, several meetings between the two countries have been held to improve coordination on border security.

On March 28, Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Menassa and his Syrian counterpart, Murhaf Abu Qasra, signed an agreement in Jeddah regarding border demarcation and the strengthening of security coordination. This came in the wake of violent clashes between the Syrian army and groups affiliated with Hezbollah along the border earlier in the month.

The issue of undefined borders dates back to the Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916, when France was granted the mandate over the two countries and drew the borders in a vague and incomplete manner. Some parts were demarcated in 1934, but large areas remained undefined. The Syrian regime later refused to officially recognize Lebanon as an independent state and considered it part of “Greater Syria.”

Kuwait expresses solidarity

On Monday, the Kuwaiti First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.

He said that Lebanon “will remain Lebanon” and that the “arms issue will be resolved soon.”

He also affirmed Kuwait’s support for Lebanon “in all areas, especially security cooperation” and called for activating the work of the Kuwaiti-Lebanese Higher Joint Committee to explore avenues for assisting Lebanon.

The president’s media office said Aoun told the Kuwaiti minister of the “importance of coordination to address common challenges, particularly in terms of security cooperation to combat drug smuggling and anything that threatens security in both countries.”