EU accused of 'outsourcing its human rights responsibilities to a brutal regime'

News that the EU is planning to send back refugees to Turkey has been met with grave concern by church leaders, charities and human rights groups.

Speaking at the start of the next EU-Turkey summit on migration, Nick Dearden, the director of the campaign organisation Global Justice Now said today: "The deal that the EU is striking with Turkey means that the EU is effectively outsourcing its human rights responsibilities to a brutal regime. The abandonment of any pretence of the EU's principles means that we are now being blackmailed by Turkey, whose government every day embraces a little more authoritarianism while brutally attacking its Kurdish population.

"What we call a 'migrant crisis', is actually a crisis of global injustice caused by war, poverty and inequality. To demonise those making a rational choice on the part of themselves, their family and their community, obscures the truth. Migration is bringing those of us in Europe face to face with the reality of the world our leaders have constructed.

"We are told that the principles of free movement, solidarity between members and respect of human rights are at the foundation of the EU. Tell that to Greece, which has been forced into indefinite depression and is now being turned into prison camp, with borders erected around it, and teargas being fired at asylum seekers trying to leave.

"The words of former Greek Finance Minister Yannis Varoufakis look truer every day: Europe must democratise or disintegrate. We cannot build a decent society on fear and hatred. Europe must extend free movement, wealth distribution and human rights, or it has reached the end of the road."

Global Justice Now argues that the EU-Turkey deal involves three unjust outcomes:

1) Paying billions of euros to an increasingly brutal Turkish government to 'keep refugees out of Europe'

2) Militarising the Mediterranean Sea, in a move which undermines European human rights responsibilities

3) Destabilising Greece, already subject to a devastating economic programme imposed by the EU

The group argues that a transformation of global immigration policy is needed, encouraging policies aimed at free movement of people, reducing global inequality, undermining poverty and halting climate change.

Read Nick Dearden's comment piece for the Independent - Katie Hopkins called for gunboats to meet refugees - Nato has kindly provided her with some

For more information on Global Justice Now see: www.globaljustice.org.uk/