Closing Balkan Borders saved EU from Turkey Blackmail +Stoped Mass Asylum Seekers/Irregular Migrants

*Strasbourg/Angelo Maropolo/- As the Pioneer of EU's Borders' Control, embattled Prime Minister of Hungary, Victor Orban, (ChristianDemocrat), has notoriously made of this issue a Core Matter for Europe's survival, (which has also Affected UK's BREXIT, almost at the Same Time, since 2015 : See ...), while it Marks even the Links with his Recent, High-Profile Meetings with Italian Frontrunner Party Leader, and vice-Prime Minister Salvini (Lega), on May 18, as well as with US President Don Trump, on May 13, including the Future of his popular Party "Fidesz" inside the EPP, according to that Big Group's strategic orientation in the foreseable Future, after the May 26, 2019 EU Elections,

=> it is, Nowadays, High Time in order to Remind some basic Facts, about how, indeed, the Closure of the Western Balkans' Route, that Hungary incited, back on 2015/2016+, Helped Both to potentially Free Europe from a Pressing and UnPrecedented Turkish "Blackmail", (according even to the Expression used by EPP's President, the experienced Long-Time Top MEP, Joseph Daul: See ...), then, (on big Money, millions of Visas, Ankara's controversial and unpopular EU bid, etc),  as well as to put a Stop to that sudden, Huge "Tsunami" of more than +1,5 Millions of Mass Asylum Seekers/Irregular Migrants, trespassing inside Europe mainly through Turkish Smugglers, via EU Member Greece's National, and EU's External, UnProtected then, Borders, with some sly Complicities.

Both these 2 Important Points have been already examined and highlighted in a landmark, Original Analysis of key Facts, Published by "Eurofora" as early as since May 2016, (on a Politicaly very "Hot" Moment), in a Press Article under the Heading : "After Erdogan NO to Conditions to UnPopular EU-Turkey Deal's VISA-Free for 80 Millions Turks: USELESS", (at: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/unpopulareuvisafreefor80millionsturksuseless.html).

For the 1st Point, concerning mainly the Description of that UnPecedented Turkish "Blackmail" on Europe, (Comp. Supra), it's enough to simply Refer to the relevant, Initial Parts of that Article, (as well as to several Subsequent Developments, in various Other Articles related to that issue).

But, on the 2nd Point, concerning mainly the Facts, (particularly UNHCR and/or IMO Official Data), which Prove that such a Controvesial and UnPopular EU - Turkey Deal had become, indeed, "Useless", since that Sudden Huge "Tsunami" of +1,5 Millions Mass Asylum Seekers/Irregular Migrants, trespassing into Europe, through mainly Turkish Smugglers, had Just been Stoped, Thanks to the above-mentioned Closure of Western Balkans' Borders, spearheaded by Hungary, etc, (Comp. Supra), it seems, still Nowadays, still Interesting to Remind and Clarify anew those Historic Concrete Events.

=> That's why, that precise Part of the above-mentioned Article, is ReProduced herewith, in its full Original Form :

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Useless 
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(February - April 2016)

Official Data, mainly from UNHCR and IMO, clearly reveal that, Contrary to a False Impression diffused by most Establisment's Media, it's Not at all since the Entry into Force of the Controversial EU - Turkey Deal that began a Reduction of the Number of Mass Asylum Seekers/Irregular Immigrants trespassing to EU Member Greece through the Turkish Coasts, after the 20 of March, 2016.

In Fact, it's Already long Before that, since 5 or 6 European Transit States, located at the Western Balkans' route, such as Slovenia, Croatia, Austria, Hungary, Serbia and FYROM, even Albania, etc., Started to Implement real Border Controls, particularly after February 18 and mainly March 9, that a Spectacular, Sharp Reduction of Mass Migrants' Inflow appeared and developed astonishingly Fast Results, creating, for the 1st Time, a Strong Downward Trend, (See relevant Numbers cited Infra).

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Until February 23, about 100.000 Migrants from Turkey had reached Greece during the Year 2016 alone, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), i.a almost 2.000 per Day.

But, already on February 18, Police Authorities from European Countries in the Western Balkans reportedly agreed to impose Daily Quota Limits, "acceptable to Austria", preparing Restrictions of the Maximum Number of Borders' Crossings per Day, which started soon to be progressively felt, (particularly on the Greece - FYROM Border), and widely publicized, even at a Global level, (includfing, f.ex., by a critical Statement from UNO's Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, etc).

When 2 or 3 key European Countries, (as f.ex. Serbia and FYROM, etc) partly Closed their Borders at least for Afghan Migrants, back since February 21, the Number of Arrivals Started to be somewhat Reduced, and this was certainly reinforced by EU Council President Donald Tusk's Dissuasive Statement, at the Beginning of March 2016, about European Countries Ceasing to serve for "Transit", (3 of March 2016). Thus, on March 4, arrivals are estimated to Fall at about 500.

But, Shortly After  5 to 6 European Countries completely Stoped the Mass Migrants' inflow at the Balkans' route Borders, from March 9, (i.e. Weeks Before the controversial EU - Turkey Deal starts to operate), the Number of Mass Asylum Seekers/Irregular Migrants arriving to EU Member Greece via Turkey Droped Down to Only about  the Half of what it was before, with just an average of some 1.150 per Day in Mid-March.

=> Thus, according to UNHCR Data, already, as Early as since February, the Total Number of Arrivals in Greece Falls, from More than 67.400+ on January, Down to about 57.000. (And this is Further Reduced to almost 27.000 on March, when the EU - Turkey controversial Deal didn't have but Only less than 10 Days during which it was Just Beginning Progressively).

>>> More Important : UNHCR Official Data reveal that, in Fact, the Biggest Fall in the Numbers or Arrivals occuired BEFORE the Entry into force of that controversial EU - Turkey Deal, (obviously because of the above mentioned Border Controls earlier set up by 5 or 6 European Countries at the Western Balkan Route: Comp. Supra), and NOT AFTERWARDS !

 -  Indeed, the "Weekly Average" of Mass Asylum Seekers:Irregular Migrants' Arrivals to EU Member Greece through Turkey, Starts to Fall from an almost 3.000 High between 18-24 February, Down to about 2.000  between 25 February and March 3, continuing its Fall Down to about 1.500  between 3 and 9 March, Drasticaly Reduced into Only about 800 during 10 - 16 March, reaching even Lower, with Less than 750 during March 17 - 23, (i.e. when the Controversial EU - Turkey Deal just Starts to Enter into Force).

===> This is tantamount to a Spectacular, sharp Reduction of almsot - 4,5 Times (- 450%) Less Arrivals, just between 18-24 February and 17-23 March, i.e. in Only 1 Month, BEFORE the Entry into force of that EU-Turkey deal, when it was Exclusively the Border Controls set up by 6 European Countries at the Western Balkans' Route, which had entered into play, ( Already as Early as since February 21 and March 9 : Comp. Facts cited Supra).

Compared to that Huge Initial Reduction, the Subsequent Reduction which continues, later-on, under the Combined Effects of Both the Border Controls and the EU - Turkey Deal, the Latter appears as a kind of .. Nain, standing side by side with a Giant ! (See relevant Graphics).

=> In other words, solid and crystal-clear Facts reveal that the alleged, so-called Miraculous Effect of the Controversial EU - Turkey Deal on Mass Asylum Seekers/Irregular Immigrants' Arrivals' Reduction is a Myth, a False Appearance, which Misleads both EU Politicians and EU Citizens... Simply because the 1st and much more Important Reduction of the Number of Arrivals had been already obtained Before the Entry into Force of that EU-Turkey Deal, (and still Continues to operate, until Today), without Wasting 6 Billions €, Neither being Obliged to "Accelerate" the UnPopular Turkey's EU bid, Nor even to Give a "Visa-Free" status to 80 Millions of Turks, that the Majority of European People do Not want at all, (Comp. Supra).

If this Trend Continued, without any Obstruction, Diversion or Interference, logically, in pure, simple Mathematics, (even WITHOUT that Controversial and UnPopular EU-Turkey Deal) before the End of April, the Average Weekly Inflow would have Fallen Down to Less than 160, and Before the End of May, Down to Less than 35....

But, in fact, Despite the Addition of the Entry into force of EU-Turkey's Deal, (after March 20), nevertheless, the latest Figures from the International Migration Organisation (IMO), reveal, on the Contrary, an recent Opposite Trend towards an Augmentation of Migrants' inflows through Turkey to EU Member Greece, with much Higher than normaly Expected Weekly during April 24 - 30, and  May 1 - 8 : Respectively 371 and 537 .

Greece being the Only EU Country with an Augmentation of Migrants' inflow (always through Turkey) even Today, while in all other European Countries, from Spain to Italy, Bulgaria, FYROM, Serbia, Croatia, Austria, etc., on the Contrary, their inflow was Droping Down.

+ In Addition, more than 376 People were Killed while trying to cross from Turkey to EU Member Greece, through the Aegean Sea this Year (2016) until the First Week of May included, while, at the Same Time, f.ex., at the Western EU External Borders between Spain and Morocco only 5 Deaths occured....

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=> Isn't it Time for real Europeans to Wake Up from a Nightmare which durated Too Long, before it provokes Dangerous Harm ? 

Many Facts clearly indicate that Simpler Solutions are both Possible, Less Costly, closer to EU Principles, and more Efficient, as some EU Politicians seem to Start  realising recently.

The main Key being, naturaly, the Protection of EU's External Borders, including by the Creation of a European CoastGuard, which should be decided by EU leaders at the forthcoming, June 2016 EU Brussels' Summit.

Meanwhile, EU Parliament's Debates, ....should normally serve much more in order to Open MEPs' eyes to Real Facts, than into a pro-Turkish Lobby Attempts to Extort even more Concessions from an EU which would then Risk to Loose both its "Soul" and its Credibility, as well as its Money, for something which Facts prove to be largely Useless, Contrary to False Appearances, (Comp. UNHCR, IMO and other Data cited Supra)...

(../..)

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("DraftNews", as already send to "Eurofora"s Subscribers/Donors, earlier. A more accurate, full Final Version might be Published asap).

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