EU Deal Could Let 127 Million Turks and Ukrainians ‘Disappear’ In Continent

The European Union will be unable to fully track the movement of some 127 million people from Turkey, Ukraine and other countries travelling to the bloc because not all nations have computerised border systems.

Around 250,000 tourists in the EU have already “disappeared” after overstaying their visas, with systems unable to keep track of them.

Although the majority of states in the Schengen free movement zone – of which the UK and Ireland are not part – use computerised systems to record tourists entering and leaving, some still use rubber stamps in passports, thus leaving no electronic record.

The Daily Mail reports that the EU is currently working towards granting visa-free travel for people from Turkey, Ukraine, Kosovo and Georgia, adding up to a total of around 127 million people who could travel to the continent without a visa.

There are fears many of these people could use it as an opportunity to settle in wealthier EU states, adding to the already huge burden of immigration on the continent.

Although the UK is outside of the Schengen Zone, immigrants can still travel freely to Britain once they are granted citizenship of another EU member state.

The European Commission is looking increasingly likely to grant visa-free travel to Turkey in exchange for the country implementing the “one-in-one-out” deal for illegal migrants in the EU.

The Turkish government has demanded that its citizens be able to travel to the EU without visas in exchange taking back migrants who land in Greece.

However, EU member states must still approve Turkey’s visa plan, meaning more sceptical Eastern European countries may yet scupper the deal.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has in turn threatened to pull the plug on the migrant deal if the EU does not grant Turkey visa-free travel.

“There are precise conditions. If the European Union does not take the necessary steps, then Turkey will not implement the agreement,” President Erdogan warned.

If Turkey does not implement the deal, it could leave Europe unable to deport thousands of migrants.

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