The European Commission considers that the temporary mandatory mechanism that has helped relocate more than 29,000 asylum seekers from Greece and Italy since September 2015 has been a success.
On Monday 25 September, on the eve of the mechanism’s expiry, Commission spokesperson Margaritis Schinas stated that given the number of difficulties it has faced, it has been “a success”. In response to the migration crisis of 2015, the Council of the EU adopted a provisional decision (2015/1601) demanding the relocation from Greece and Italy of 120,000 asylum seekers between 25 September 2015 and 26 September 2017 (see EUROPE 11394).
Out of a quota initially estimated at 120,000 people, more than 29,000 people have so far been relocated. According to the Commission, the maximum target figure has been revised downwards to 98,000 asylum seekers, given that the number of those arriving in Greece has significantly declined since the mechanism entered into force and that many migrants arriving in Italy are not able to claim international protection.
The Commission estimates that around 10,000 asylum seekers in Greece and Italy, or arriving there up until Tuesday 26 September, have the right to claim relocation in the EU even after this date.
On the basis of Eurostat statistics, the Commission has reviewed every three months the list of asylum seeker nationalities eligible for the relocation mechanism. Those eligible were nationals from a country where demands for asylum were over 75% accepted by member states.
The temporary asylum seeker relocation mechanism opposed by Hungary and Slovakia, with the backing of Poland, was finally ratified by the European Court of Justice at the beginning of September (see EUROPE 11856). Specific infringement procedures are still open against Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic (see EUROPE 11837).
On Wednesday 27 September, the Commission will present proposals to create new opportunities for legal migration at the same time as a beefed up migrant returns policy for those who are unable to claim refugee status.
Amnesty International is singing a completely different tune. On Monday, the organisation criticised member states for having ultimately only respected “a third” of their relocation promises and for having “abandoned” thousands of migrants in Italy and Greece. It called on member states to respect their commitments, particularly by granting work permits or family reunification measures. The organisation warned that if the member states failed to do so, they were at risk of being taken to the European Court of Justice.
In a press release, Amnesty International provided the following statistics: - Hungary and Poland have not relocated a single asylum seeker; - the Czech Republic and Slovakia have taken 12 and 16 asylum seekers respectively; - Spain has met 13.7% of its commitments, Belgium 25.6%, the Netherlands 39.6% and Portugal 49%. The countries meeting the highest level of commitment are Malta, which has respected all its commitments, Finland (94% of commitments – in other words 1,951 asylum seekers) and Ireland (76.5% of commitments – in other words 459 people), while Norway and Liechtenstein have voluntarily taken in 1,500 and 10 asylum seekers respectively. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)