Germany calls for closer EU-Türkiye cooperation on migration

Germany on Friday called for closer cooperation between the EU and Türkiye to manage migration challenges.

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told local media that the 2016 EU-Türkiye agreement should be updated to better address the current problems.

“That’s what we need. Because at the moment, the EU agreement with Türkiye is not working well enough,” she said in an exclusive interview with the weekly Welt am Sonntag.

Faeser stressed that they would like to enhance cooperation with Türkiye on the matter, but did not elaborate on Berlin’s proposals.

The EU-Türkiye refugee agreement, which was signed in March 2016, significantly reduced the flow of migrants into Europe via the Aegean Sea and contributed to saving many lives. However, various problems related to the agreement’s implementation led to criticism from both sides.

Ankara has repeatedly criticized its European partners for not honoring their political commitments, and not providing adequate financial resources for sharing the burden of the refugee crisis.

Türkiye currently hosts nearly 4 million Syrians, making it the world's largest refugee-hosting country in the world.