The Court of Just?ce of the European Union has declined its jurisdiction in a case filed for the annulment of what has become known as the EU-Turkey deal in its decision of 28 February 2017. For the time being, the deal therefore stands. The deal is regarded by many as an emergency measure taken to save the Common European Asylum System. But is this measure really able to do that, and if so at what costs? Are the parties to the deal aware of each other’s motives, and do these motives affect the nature of the agreement? This contribution seeks to find an answer to these and other questions related to the ‘deal’.