Ankara rubbishes UK proposal to send refugees to Turkey

“We hope these claims relating to Ms Truss in the press are unfounded,” said a spokesperson for the Turkish foreign ministry.
2 min read
18 July, 2022
All five candidates running to be PM have been at pains to appear 'tough on migration' throughout the race [Getty]

The Turkish foreign ministry has slammed informal proposals to deport UK asylum seekers to .

UK foreign minister had told MPs in private this weekend that she would like to open negotiations with Turkey and other states to send undocumented migrants who arrive in the UK, according to reporting by The Times.

The Turkish foreign ministry retorted angrily at the suggestion soon after the story broke, releasing a statement that left the plans dead in the water.

"It is out of the question for our nation — the world’s for the last eight years — to take on a greater burden at the request of a third country and, furthermore, to contribute to an approach that is incompatible with international rules on the right to asylum," said spokesperson Tanju Bilgiç on Saturday.

"Turkey will not become a refugee camp or border guard for any other country, nor will it in any way assume the international obligations of a third country," he added.

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Turkey plays host to some 3.7 million Syrian refugees, the world's largest refugee population.

However, public sentiment has turned against the refugees as Turkey's economic woes mount, prompting the government to work on plans to re-settle up to 1 million Syrians in northwest Syria after building cinderblock houses in areas under Turkish control.

In the UK, all - among them Truss -have been competing to set out this weekend, courting Conservative Party members ahead of final rounds of voting that kick off this week.

Notably, none of the MPs standing to become party leader and the UK's prime ministerhave said they would repeal that controversial , as continue to rise during the warm weather and calm seas.

The new policy, which is costing the UK over £100 million, has been panned by - though a substantial section of British society does support the plans.