Ankara rubbishes UK proposal to send refugees to Turkey

The Turkish foreign ministry has slammed informal proposals to deport UK asylum seekers to Turkey.

UK foreign minister Liz Truss had told MPs in private this weekend that she would like to open negotiations with Turkey and other states to send undocumented migrants who arrive in the UK, according to reporting by The Times.

The Turkish foreign ministry retorted angrily at the suggestion soon after the story broke, releasing a statement that left the plans dead in the water. 

"It is out of the question for our nation — the world’s largest host of refugees for the last eight years — to take on a greater burden at the request of a third country and, furthermore, to contribute to an approach that is incompatible with international rules on the right to asylum," said spokesperson Tanju Bilgiç on Saturday. 

"Turkey will not become a refugee camp or border guard for any other country, nor will it in any way assume the international obligations of a third country," he added.

Turkey plays host to some 3.7 million Syrian refugees, the world's largest refugee population.

However, public sentiment has turned against the refugees as Turkey's economic woes mount, prompting the government to work on plans to re-settle up to 1 million Syrians in northwest Syria after building cinderblock houses in areas under Turkish control.

In the UK, all Tory leadership candidates - among them Truss - have been competing to set out tough stances on immigration this weekend, courting Conservative Party members ahead of final rounds of voting that kick off this week. 

Notably, none of the MPs standing to become party leader and the UK's prime minister have said they would repeal that controversial Rwanda removal scheme, as channel crossings from Calais continue to rise during the warm weather and calm seas.

The new policy, which is costing the UK over £100 million, has been panned by rights groups, lawyers and religious leaders - though a substantial section of British society does support the plans.