Brussels, 31/03/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 31 March, the European Commission granted €1.14 million to the International Organisation of Migration (IOM) to help Italy to implement an assisted programme of voluntary returns and reintegration, it has announced in a press release.
This programme targets illegal migrants wishing to return to their country of origin from Italy. It will provide information about the voluntary return options and help migrants in the returns process, the Commission says. The IOM will support the reintegration of migrants in their country of origin by providing support for housing, education, professional training and employment, which will discourage them from returning illegally to the EU.
This money has been taken from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and will allow Italy to create a more permanent programme of its own.
EU-Turkey - launch still scheduled for 4 April
On Thursday 31 March, the Commission also confirmed that everything was in place for the EU-Turkey agreement on migrants and asylum seekers to be launched on 4 April. On that date, Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos will be in Ankara to put the finishing touches to the agreement with the Turkish authorities, the institution said.
At the moment, the Commission is unable to confirm the information reported by AFP that 500 migrants have been sent back from Greece to Turkey under the new instrument. According to the news agency, these migrants are believed to be Syrians and Afghans, but did not claim asylum in Greece. However, the new mechanism set in place between the EU and Turkey specifically concerns Syrian and Iraqi migrants and those of other nationalities who have claimed asylum in Greece and whose applications were rejected by the Greek authorities.
The Commission is not yet able to provide figures for the number of asylum seekers who will be sent back to Turkey on Monday 4 April or the number of people who will be resettled in the EU in exchange, the institution went on to state. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)