International medical charity Medicins Sans Frontiers (MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders) on Friday said it would no longer accept funds from the European Union (EU) and its member states as it jeopardises the concept of asylum. The charity said the decision was effective immediately and would be applicable worldwide.
MSF, however, assured people their ongoing projects would not be effected as they would dip into their emergency funds. It took the decision in protest against the EU's deal with Turkey.
The EU-Turkey deal, which came into place three months ago, has left 8,000 people, included unaccompanied minors, stranded on Greek islands with nowhere to go except being shunted into refugee camps, the statement from MSF said.
The stranded groups of people are likely to be returned to Turkey. The one-in-one-out deal is only applicable to Syrians, making access to Europe for non-Syrians bleak. The deal ensures that for every Syrian sent to Turkey from Greece, one will be resettled in Europe.
The deal, which has been criticised massively, has now been condemned by MSF, which tweeted" "We reject the instrumentalization of humanitarian aid for the sake of border control & cannot take money from governments who misuse aid. [sic]"
In exchange for taking refugees back, Turkey will be given $3.3 billion and Turks will be allowed to travel visa-free in the Schengen zone.
"For months MSF has spoken out about a shameful European response focused on deterrence rather than providing people with the assistance and protection they need," said Jerome Oberreit, international secretary general of MSF. "The EU-Turkey deal goes one step further and has placed the very concept of 'refugee' and the protection it offers in danger."
The medical charity has received $63 million from EU and member states in 2015, the BBC reported.
MSF also criticised a deal the EU has made on the lines of the Turkey deal with Middle-Eastern and African countries like Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan and Afghanistan. The countries will face trade and aid cuts if they can't stem the migrant flow.
Of the non-Syrians crossing over from Turkey to Europe are people from these conflict-ridden countries.
