A year on, key EU-Turkey migration deal looks wobbly

In this photo taken on Friday, March 17, 2017 the sun rises as a Greek coast guard vessel patrols on the Aegean Sea near the northeastern Greek island of Lesbos. The waters off northern Lesbos once resounded to the shrieks of the drowning, the whine of outboard motors as refugees struggled to reach Europe alive, and the thudding of rescue helicopter engines. A million people crossed the straits between Turkey and Greece’s eastern Aegean islands in the year before March 20, 2016, and hundreds drowned. About half of those who made it landed on this island. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) (The Associated Press)

In this photo taken on Thursday, March 16, 2017 piles of life jackets used by refugees and migrants lie at a dump in Molyvos village, on the northeastern Greek island of Lesbos. The waters off northern Lesbos once resounded to the shrieks of the drowning, the whine of outboard motors as refugees struggled to reach Europe alive, and the thudding of rescue helicopter engines. A million people crossed the straits between Turkey and Greece’s eastern Aegean islands in the year before March 20, 2016, and hundreds drowned. About half of those who made it landed on this island. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) (The Associated Press)

In this photo taken on Thursday, March 16, 2017 boats and piles of life jackets used by refugees and migrants lie at a dump in Molyvos village, on the northeastern Greek island of Lesbos. The waters off northern Lesbos once resounded to the shrieks of the drowning, the whine of outboard motors as refugees struggled to reach Europe alive, and the thudding of rescue helicopter engines. A million people crossed the straits between Turkey and Greece’s eastern Aegean islands in the year before March 20, 2016, and hundreds drowned. About half of those who made it landed on this island. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) (The Associated Press)

The waters off the Greek island of Lesbos once echoed with the shrieks of people drowning as they struggled to reach Europe and the thrumming of rescue helicopters.

A coastguard patrol Friday encountered nothing more alarming than a few fishing boats.

A year-old deal to stem uncontrolled migration between Turkey and Greece's eastern islands explains why.

Since the European Union and Turkey reached a deal to dissuade migrants to cross the Mediterranean, the number of new arrivals has dropped from 1 million annually to under 25,000.

Turkey's recent diplomatic fight with the Netherlands and Germany over allowing visiting Turkish officials to campaign for a referendum that would expand the president's authority threatens to scuttle the agreement.

The agreement hinges on Turkey taking back people attempting the crossing.