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Greece restarts migrant returns under EU-Turkey deal

Forty-five migrants were taken by ferry from Lesbos to Turkey as Greek authorities restarted returns under an EU deal to stem the flow of migrants and refugees to Europe.

The ferry left the port of Mytilene on Friday morning, with a second boat expected to leave later, state television reported.

The first group of 202 migrants to be returned, most of them from Pakistan and Afghanistan, were taken back to Turkey on Monday.

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Erdogan criticises Europe for 'turning Syrians back'

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan criticised European countries for 'turning back Syrians'. Credit: APTN

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan criticised European countries for not letting migrants into their territories by raising razor wire fences.

Speaking to the general assembly for humanitarian organisation Red Crescent in Ankara, he said that European countries "turned back Syrians" while the Turkish government had rescued 100,000 migrants from the Aegean Sea.

Did we turn Syrians back? No, we didn't. But they (European countries) did.

By way of placing razor wire, they didn't let these people in to their countries.

We see who's dying on the Aegean Sea. But the number of those rescued by us on the Aegean Sea is 100,000.

– Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan

Greece has begun returning migrants to Turkey, home to 2.7 million migrants, as part of an EU agreement for financial and political concessions.

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