Greece has three months to implement European Commission (EC) recommendations or face grave consequences, said EU ministers. The move allows countries implementing border controls to continue to do so if Greece fails.
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The European Union (EU) formally issued Greece with a three-month ultimatum on Friday to remedy "deficiencies" in controlling a wave of migration from Turkey or face penalties in the Schengen passport-free travel zone, according to EU sources.
The decision was taken by EU member states despite staunch opposition from Athens.
In 2015, more than 800,000 migrants entered the 28-nation bloc through Greece, many of them fleeing war-torn countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
"It is of utmost important that Greece addresses the issues identified in the report adopted by the Commission as a matter of priority and urgency," a statement from the ministers read, according to AFP news agency.
Athens must "within one month … establish an action plan to remedy the deficiencies … (and) within three months of the same date, it shall report on the implementation," the statement added.
The heroes of Lesbos
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Border control privileges
If Greece fails to implement the 50 recommendations made by the European Commission in January, the EU could authorize member states to extend border controls for up to two years instead of the normal six months, a maneuver outlines under article 26 of the Schengen zone's border code.
EU officials and diplomats said the move does not aim to isolate Greece, but instead ensure the border controls implemented in other member states, including Germany, can remain without technically breaking the law, according to Reuters news agency.
In January, European Council President Donald Tusk warned EU member states that the Schengen zone could collapse if they did not bring the wave of migration to Europe "under control."
With help, refugees settle into life in Turkey
A patchwork of aid groups and independent volunteers have assembled in Izmir, Turkey, to help refugees restart their lives. Diego Cupolo reports from the port city which has become home to 85,000 Syrian asylum-seekers.
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
Syrian establishments
In Izmir's Basmane district, an area known for human trafficking operations, refugee-owned stores and restaurants have multiplied as more Syrians choose to stay in the city. Yet while refugees have made progress by opening such businesses, most still do so under the names of Turkish friends, said Mohamed Saleh, director for the Relief Society of Syrian Refugees in Izmir.
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
Unemployed and unattended
Paying the bills is only one of the challenges for refugees, who often pass long periods of unemployment by sitting in cafes. Many lack basic health services, which prompted Lea Wilmsen, a German medical student, to provide free house visits to ailing families. "Unlike camps, refugees are spread out in a city and harder to find," she said.
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
House calls
Working with a translator, Wilmsen visited refugee homes in Basmane. Pictured above, she listened as two mothers described how their children were suffering from chronic respiratory illnesses. According to Wilmsen, the cause of their troubles was the humid apartment they inhabited, where 14 people slept on mats in two small rooms.
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
Street kids
Children play near life jackets being sold on a street corner. Most young refugees in Izmir do not attend school on a regular basis and must often take simple jobs to help their families pay rent. During another house visit, Wilmsen attended to a six-year-old Syrian boy who was beaten up and robbed while selling tissue packets in the street.
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
Building refugee centers
In an effort to create a community center for refugees, former union organizer Yalcin Yanik is renovating the abandoned building he uses as a leather-tanning studio. "I help the refugees, just like I helped workers many years ago," he said. "We are making a collective space to help refugees feel welcome. We want to fill the holes left by our government."
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
Avoiding dependency
Often seen walking through the streets of Basmane, Chris Dowling, an Italian-English volunteer working with Yanik, said it's important to help refugees, but not to exaggerate. "We don't want people to become dependent on aid. We want to build community groups that help people know their rights and help them integrate into society, find work and build their own lives."
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
Housing problems
Mercy Corps, a humanitarian aid organization funded by the EU, recently opened an office in Izmir, where it seeks out vulnerable refugee families and provides assistance through voucher programs and counseling. The group also helps pay extermination fees for pest-infested homes, which tend to be rented by refugees with low incomes.
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
Smuggling hub
Despite the combined efforts of humanitarian workers, the majority of refugees arrive in Izmir to find smugglers in places such as Basmane Square, pictured above. "We can't stop people from dealing with the smugglers," said Afife Yildiz, project officer for Mercy Corps in Izmir. "The solution is political. We are here to decide who is most vulnerable and help them."
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
Safe passage
The Greek island of Chios, as seen from Cesme, Turkey. If refugees are determined to cross to Europe, Nur Sahinoglu, a volunteer with the aid group Imece Inisiyatifi Cesme, is one of many locals who try to deter them from taking dinghies across the Aegean. "If you want to go," she said, "go safely."