EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson called on Turkey, on Monday 29 March, to restart returns of irregular migrants currently in Greece, while the EU, for its part, has resumed “resettlements” of refugees from Turkey, in line with the March 2016 EU-Turkey Declaration.
The Commissioner was speaking during a visit to camps on the Greek islands of Lesbos and Samos, where she assessed the reception conditions of migrants.
To this end, the Commissioner announced that 276 million euros would be allocated to finance five additional reception centres. Alongside Greek Migration Minister, Notis Mitarachi, she also said that the situation on the Greek islands, while still difficult, had improved, with a “decongestion” of the centres, with the population of the islands having fallen from 42,000 to 14,000 in 2 years. 3,300 people have been relocated from the Greek islands to the Member States, with departures every week.
Despite the pandemic, there were also “2,500 voluntary returns” in 2020 and a similar proportion of forced returns.
The Greek Minister, appointed in September 2019, explained that the total population of Greek migrant camps had fallen from 92,000 people to 58,000 for the whole country.
The Commissioner also had the opportunity during this joint press conference to address the allegations of migrant pushback at the external borders against Frontex, but also against the Greek coast guard.
Greece “can do more” to investigate allegations that it is pushing back asylum seekers, including children, to Turkey, she said. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)