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Germany made secret pact with Turkey for the EU to take half a million Syrian refugees, says Hungarian Prime Minister Germany made secret pact with Turkey for the EU to take half a million Syrian refugees, says Hungarian Prime Minister
(1 day later)
Germany has struck a secret pact with Turkey for the European Union to take in as many as half a million Syrians currently living in Turkish refugee camps, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has claimed.Germany has struck a secret pact with Turkey for the European Union to take in as many as half a million Syrians currently living in Turkish refugee camps, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has claimed.
While EU officials were vociferously denying the suggestions of a secret deal with Ankara, they did not dispute that efforts are being made to manage the resettlement of Syrians in Europe more efficiently. While EU officials were vociferously denying the suggestions of a secret deal with Ankara, they did not dispute that efforts are being made to manage the resettlement of Syrians in Europe more efficiently. 
Speaking in Budapest, Mr Orban said an EU agreement on the transfer of refugees from Turkey would be announced in Berlin on 3 December or the day after. “A nasty surprise lies in wait for Europe,” he said.Speaking in Budapest, Mr Orban said an EU agreement on the transfer of refugees from Turkey would be announced in Berlin on 3 December or the day after. “A nasty surprise lies in wait for Europe,” he said.
Mr Orban claimed that the deal was endorsed just before the EU-Turkey summit in Brussels on 29 November, when German Chancellor Angela Merkel hosted a mini-summit with seven other EU leaders prepared to resettle refugees from Turkish camps next year.Mr Orban claimed that the deal was endorsed just before the EU-Turkey summit in Brussels on 29 November, when German Chancellor Angela Merkel hosted a mini-summit with seven other EU leaders prepared to resettle refugees from Turkish camps next year.
Hungarian PM Viktor Orban says the EU has agreed to take in 500,000 Syrian refugees from Turkey (AP)
While EU officials said the eight leaders – from Germany, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Sweden – discussed resettling around 400,000 Syrian refugees in Turkey in the EU, they insisted there was nothing secret or new about the proposals. Ms Merkel said on 29 November that the idea was to “replace illegal migration with legal migration… it’s an uphill struggle, but it’s well worth the effort”. While EU officials said the eight leaders – from Germany, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Sweden – discussed resettling around 400,000 Syrian refugees in Turkey in the EU, they insisted there was nothing secret or new about the proposals. Ms Merkel said on 29 November that the idea was to “replace illegal migration with legal migration… it’s an uphill struggle, but it’s well worth the effort”. 
Resettlement was specifically mentioned in the €3bn deal the EU struck with Turkey on 29 November to help stop the  2.5 million Syrians currently living in Turkish refugee camps from heading to the EU. Resettlement was specifically mentioned in the €3bn deal the EU struck with Turkey on 29 November to help stop the  2.5 million Syrians currently living in Turkish refugee camps from heading to the EU. 
European Commission officials said the idea was to eventually bring the refugees to Europe in a managed, open, and voluntarily process – and that recalcitrant countries such as Hungary would not be obliged to join in. “Those member states willing to join this common undertaking will tell us if they would like to be part of this,” said one official. European Commission officials said the idea was to eventually bring the refugees to Europe in a managed, open, and voluntarily process – and that recalcitrant countries such as Hungary would not be obliged to join in. “Those member states willing to join this common undertaking will tell us if they would like to be part of this,” said one official. 
Mohamed Zayat, a refugee from Syria, plays with his daughter Ranim, who is nearly 3, in the one room they and Mohamed's wife Laloosh call home at an asylum-seekers' shelter in Vossberg village on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. The Zayats arrived approximately two months ago after trekking through Turkey, Greece and the Balkans and are now waiting for local authorities to process their asylum application, after which they will be allowed to live independently and settle elsewhere in Germany. Approximately 60 asylum-seekers, mostly from Syria, Chechnya and Somalia, live at the Vossberg shelter, which is run by the Arbeiter-Samariter Bund (ASB) charity
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A refugee child Amnat Musayeva points to a star with her photo and name that decorates the door to her classroom as teacher Martina Fischer looks on at the local kindergarten Amnat and her siblings attend on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. The children live with their family at an asylum-seekers' shelter in nearby Vossberg village and are waiting for local authorities to process their asylum applications. Approximately 60 asylum-seekers, mostly from Syria, Chechnya and Somalia, live at the Vossberg shelter, which is run by the Arbeiter-Samariter Bund (ASB) charity
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Kurdish Syrian asylum-applicant Mohamed Ali Hussein (R), 19, and fellow applicant Autur, from Latvia, load benches onto a truckbed while performing community service, for which they receive a small allowance, in Wilhelmsaue village on October 9, 2015 near Letschin, Germany. Mohamed and Autur live at an asylum-applicants' shelter in nearby Vossberg village. Approximately 60 asylum-seekers, mostly from Syria, Chechnya and Somalia, live at the Vossberg shelter, which is run by the Arbeiter-Samariter Bund (ASB) charity
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Mohamed Ali Hussein ((L), 19, and his cousin Sinjar Hussein, 34, sweep leaves at a cemetery in Gieshof village, for which they receive a small allowance, near Letschin
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Mohamed Zayat, a refugee from Syria, looks among donated clothing in the basement of the asylum-seekers' shelter that is home to Mohamed, his wife Laloosh and their daughter Ranim as residents' laundry dries behind in Vossberg village on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. The Zayats arrived approximately two months ago after trekking through Turkey, Greece and the Balkans and are now waiting for local authorities to process their asylum application, after which they will be allowed to live independently and settle elsewhere in Germany
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Asya Sugaipova (L), Mohza Mukayeva and Khadra Zhukova prepare food in the communal kitchen at the asylum-seekers' shelter that is their home in Vossberg village in Letschin
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Efrah Abdullahi Ahmed looks down from the communal kitchen window at her daughter Sumaya, 10, who had just returned from school, at the asylum-seekers' shelter that is their home in Vossberg
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Asylum-applicants, including Syrians Mohamed Ali Hussein (C-R, in black jacket) and Fadi Almasalmeh (C), return from grocery shopping with other refugees to the asylum-applicants' shelter that is their home in Vossberg village in Letschin
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Mohamed Zayat (2nd from L), a refugee from Syria, smokes a cigarette after shopping for groceries with his daughter Ranim, who is nearly 3, and fellow-Syrian refugees Mohamed Ali Hussein (C) and Fadi Almasalmeh (L) at a local supermarket on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. All of them live at an asylum-seekers' shelter in nearby Vossberg village and are waiting for local authorities to process their asylum applications, after which they will be allowed to live independently and settle elsewhere in Germany
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Kurdish Syrian refugees Leila, 9, carries her sister Avin, 1, in the backyard at the asylum-seekers' shelter that is home to them and their family in Vossberg village in Letschin
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Somali refugees and husband and wife Said Ahmed Gure (R) and Ayaan Gure pose with their infant son Muzammili, who was born in Germany, in the room they share at an asylum-seekers' shelter in Vossberg village on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. Approximately 60 asylum-seekers, mostly from Syria, Chechnya and Somalia, live at the Vossberg shelter, which is run by the Arbeiter-Samariter Bund (ASB) charity, and are waiting for authorities to process their application for asylum
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel pauses for a selfie with a refugee after she visited the AWO Refugium Askanierring shelter for refugees in Berlin
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Nonetheless, Mr Orban, who has opposed the idea of EU refugee quotas from the outset, said Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic would face intense pressure from the EU to take in more refugees. “We cannot accept this,” he insisted. Nonetheless, Mr Orban, who has opposed the idea of EU refugee quotas from the outset, said Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic would face intense pressure from the EU to take in more refugees. “We cannot accept this,” he insisted. 
Elizabeth Collett, director of the Migration Policy Institute Europe said the initiative made sense after the painful EU arguments in September on relocation quotas. Elizabeth Collett, director of the Migration Policy Institute Europe said the initiative made sense after the painful EU arguments in September on relocation quotas. 
“Germany is rightly thinking it does not want a tortuous process of going through the 28 countries,” she said. “Germany is rightly thinking it does not want a tortuous process of going through the 28 countries,” she said. 
“This would be a deal that works for both the EU and Turkey: when you resettle, you do it in a pragmatic, humane, managed way that prioritises the most vulnerable.” “This would be a deal that works for both the EU and Turkey: when you resettle, you do it in a pragmatic, humane, managed way that prioritises the most vulnerable.” 
Ms Collett said Mr Orban was deliberately stirring resentment against both refugees and the EU itself.Ms Collett said Mr Orban was deliberately stirring resentment against both refugees and the EU itself.
Slovakia which has also loudly opposed refugee quotas, has lodged a lawsuit at the European Court of Justice against the EU’s relocation scheme, which aims to redistribute 160,000 asylum seekers from Italy and Greece to other EU member states. Slovakia which has also loudly opposed refugee quotas, has lodged a lawsuit at the European Court of Justice against the EU’s relocation scheme, which aims to redistribute 160,000 asylum seekers from Italy and Greece to other EU member states. 
Meanwhile, the EU took steps to criminalise people who travel abroad for terrorist purposes, meaning suspects would not have to commit an act of terror to be convicted of terrorism. The move comes as part of a series of new security measures in the wake of the Paris attacks, where several of the terrorists had travelled back and forth to Syria. The proposals unveiled by the Commission would also criminalise the funding, organisation and facilitation of terror-related travel.Meanwhile, the EU took steps to criminalise people who travel abroad for terrorist purposes, meaning suspects would not have to commit an act of terror to be convicted of terrorism. The move comes as part of a series of new security measures in the wake of the Paris attacks, where several of the terrorists had travelled back and forth to Syria. The proposals unveiled by the Commission would also criminalise the funding, organisation and facilitation of terror-related travel.