The EU-Turkey Statement – A human rights violation by design?

2015 brought an unprecedented challenge to EU leaders and governments when they had to develop political solutions to the so-called “migration crisis”. For lack of quick fixes or better alternatives, they rushed to negotiate a deal with Turkey, which came to be known as EU-Turkey Statement. The “deal”, however, not only lacks any long-term sustainable solution to the challenge and made the EU cut a deal with an unreliable, authoritarian “partner” but, more importantly, outright violates refugees’ human rights.