World Refugee Day dawns on more than 65 million displaced people globally, a number greater than in any other period in recorded history, according to figures released today by the Office of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.
But just one day after the European Union’s EU Development Days annual conference in Brussels — where refugees and migration were central issues — Médecins Sans Frontières announced it will no longer accept funding from the EU on account of its poor response to the migrant crisis.
The boycott is a protest of Europe’s strategy to tackle migration, specifically the EU-Turkey deal, which promises 1 billion euros in aid in exchange for Turkey’s acceptance of returned refugees. The deal will see thousands of migrants in Greece forcibly transported back to Turkey.
MSF also takes issue with the EU’s broader “Asylum, Migration and Integration” scheme, including the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, which seeks to strengthen African nations’ institutions using development interventions to stem the flow of migrants to Europe.
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