VOA常速英语:欧盟土耳其难民协议生效一年，仍有数千名难民被困

A disused factory outside the Greek capital Athens is home to around 600 people, mostly from Afghanistan, Syria and Pakistan.They are among some 60,000 migrants that have been stuck in Greece for over a year,languishing in camps like this with nowhere to go, as the borders through the Balkans to Western Europe remain closed.

Aid groups accuse the European Union of abandoning its responsibilities.

Declan Barry of Doctors Without Borders, spoke to VOA via Skype from Brussels,Certainly, when we are on the ground, uh, treating the patients,and we are seeing the suffering that is (a) consequence (of) the EU-Turkey deal,we can’t say that that’s a success, in human terms, it is a failure.”

Barry says the conditions are having a profound impact on migrants’ health.

“When these refugees are detained and held in camps, we are seeing an awful lot more people with,uh, profound mental health disorders, and that includes psychosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, a lot of anxiety and depression."

But European Union officials say hundreds of lives have been saved by breaking up the people-smuggling gangs.

The European Union Commissioner for Migration last week hosted the mayors of five Greek Islands on the front line of the crisis.

“Already, the results are positive, as the numbers have fallen dramatically compared to how it was a year ago,when 10,000 people passed through Turkey onto European soil.Now those numbers have fallen to 60 people per day, a figure which is easily manageable.”

Avramopoulos called on EU states to speed up the relocation of refugees.France signed a deal Tuesday to take in 500 Syrian refugees from Lebanon.It is hoped offering safe passage will ease the pressure on Europe’s borders.

“Is it possible to offer an alternative to the deadly trip through the Mediterranean by taking these people away from human traffickers?”

Meanwhile, Turkey’s foreign minister has warned the migrant deal is at risk as the European Union has delayed giving Turkish citizens visa-free travel, a key part of the agreement.Brussels wants Ankara to first modify its strict anti-terror laws.

Henry Ridgwell, for VOA news, London.