ATHENS — An agreement between the European Union and Turkey to deport migrants currently on Greek islands back to the Turkish mainland is to take effect Monday, but the operation is threatened by a shortage of personnel. The agency relies on the EU’s 28 member states to provide translators and other officials to process asylum seekers, but these have not been forthcoming, even as the continent faces its worst refugee crisis since World War II. For every person sent back, EU countries would take in one person confirmed to have made a legitimate asylum request. Giorgos Kyritsis, a spokesman for the Greek government’s refugee crisis committee, said Frontex only has 200 officers in place to accompany the deported migrants, but almost none of the other personnel that would facilitate screening those who apply for asylum. Other agencies, such as UNHCR, the United Nations’ refugee agency, are trying to help migrants go through the asylum application process.
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