Greece returns 10 migrants to Turkey under EU deal

Greek authorities sent 10 people back to Turkey on Friday in accordance with a Turkey-EU migration deal.

According to a statement issued by the Greek Public Security Ministry, the 10 individuals were taken from Lesbos island in the Aegean Sea and were sent to the Dikili district of Turkey’s western Izmir province.

Four of the migrants are from Pakistan, two from Bangladesh and one each from Nepal, Morocco, Congo and Algeria, the statement added.

The total number of people sent back to Turkey under the November 2015 deal has reached 1,081 since the agreement came into force in April last year.

Under the deal, which was struck at the height of the refugee crisis gripping Europe, Turkey agreed to accept the return of some migrants who crossed to the EU from its territory.

In return, the EU agreed to accept Syrian refugees for resettlement.

According to the International Organization for Migration, in 2015 more than 857,000 migrants arrived in Greece, where most migrants headed from Turkey.

This figure fell by 79 percent to just under 177,000 arrivals the following year.