Migrant crisis redux

As the situation deteriorates in Syria, another migrant crisis looms large in Europe. Since the Syrian civil war started in 2011, there has been repeated influx of Syrian refugees into Turkey. As the number of those fleeing war in Syria surged, Turkey was unable or unwilling to restraint their movement across the borders into Europe via Greece. The last upsurge in the number of these refugees was witnessed in the middle of the last decade between 2014 and 2016. With increasing pressure of this movement of migrants from Turkey, the EU negotiated a deal with Erdogan. The deal promised billions of euros in aid to Turkey with the condition that it would not allow the refugees to cross borders.

During the past five years, we saw a relative calm on the migration front as Turkey managed to stem the flow of refugees out of its borders. In 2019, two important turning points have changed the situation. One, the Syrian army of Bashar al-Assad with direct help from Russia, was able to recapture vast tracts of land that were under rebel control. Two, the attempts of the president of Turkey to establish a buffer zone along the borders with Syria did not produce the desired results.The buffer zone was meant to crush any Kurdish incursions into Turkey, and provide a relatively calm border control. As the last remaining rebel stronghold in Idlib came under bombardment, the influx of refugees crossing into Turkey surged again.

Turkey claims that there are over 3.5 million refugees in the country and around a million more are expected to cross the border soon. This is an alarming situation by all measures, and Turkey was quick to ask for more help from the EU. Now, though Turkey is playing a victim – which it is to some extent – it is noteworthy that it has also played a role in this crisis, in its haste to counter the Kurds. The Syrian army and the government are equally to blame but none of the warring factions and parties are innocent. The innocent lot is the common people who are languishing in camps and knocking at the fences of Europe. The situation calls for an immediate European response in terms of additional aid to Turkey. While the Syrian and Russian allies must be urged to restrain their onslaught, the Turkish president must also rethink the approach to Syria. An internationally concerted effort appears to be the only possible solution to this impending crisis.