EU unable to determine impact of refugee funds given to Turkey, auditors say

European Union auditors have said they are unable to determine the impact of the billions of euros the bloc gave to Turkey to help it cope with migrants crossing in from Syria.

In March 2016, a month after the deal came into effect, Turkey’s government said the number of migrants crossing illegally into Greece had dropped from around 6,000 per day in November 2015 to about 130 daily.

In 2021, the leaders announced plans to send a further $3.2 billion for refugees in Turkey. The pact, which was hailed in Europe as a great success, served as a template for other more recent and elaborate deals with Tunisia and Egypt.