Amnesty International calls on EU leaders not to "trade human lives" in Turkey deal
- 8 years ago
Amnesty International called upon EU leaders on Thursday not to trade the lives of refugees ahead of a summit aimed at striking a deal with Turkey to halt migrant flows.
A year into a crisis in which more than a million people have arrived in chaotic misery, many of them Syrian war refugees and most of whom come from Turkey via Greece to Germany via dangerous sea crossings and long treks, hopes have risen around the summit table that they may have found a way to at least slow the movement.
"We're telling EU leaders that they should actually realise refugees are humans and not merchandise, and they should not go into trading in human lives, with human lives.
We brought 28 life jackets bearing that message representing the 28 EU member states," Said Deputy Europe Director for Campaigns at Amnesty International Fotis Filippou.
A year into a crisis in which more than a million people have arrived in chaotic misery, many of them Syrian war refugees and most of whom come from Turkey via Greece to Germany via dangerous sea crossings and long treks, hopes have risen around the summit table that they may have found a way to at least slow the movement.
"We're telling EU leaders that they should actually realise refugees are humans and not merchandise, and they should not go into trading in human lives, with human lives.
We brought 28 life jackets bearing that message representing the 28 EU member states," Said Deputy Europe Director for Campaigns at Amnesty International Fotis Filippou.