In a letter published Wednesday, the 20 organizations — which includes the EuroMed Rights network of NGOs, several Turkish human rights groups and the French Human Rights League — demand the EU “immediately halt all funding for any Turkish facilities implicated … until a full, transparent and independent review is conducted.”
They also demand “an independent international investigation” to “thoroughly examine the misuse of EU funds.”
Last month’s investigation also found widespread human rights abuses, such as beatings, occurring in EU-funded centers — and that the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, ignored warnings from NGOs, diplomats and its own staff.
“The report’s revelations shed light on a disturbing shift in the European Union’s migration policies, where funding initially intended for humanitarian aid has been repurposed to facilitate deportations, resulting in severe abuses against refugees and migrants,” the civil society organizations wrote.
The Commission’s reaction to the revelations was muted, asking Turkey to “thoroughly investigate allegations of wrongdoing.” But the civil society organizations insist that the EU “as a primary funder, has the primary responsibility of these operations” and must “ensure that any funding is fully aligned with EU human rights standards.”
In October, European Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly called the investigation’s findings “truly shocking.”
