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European Commission reports on Partnership Framework, Relocations, EU-Turkey deal and European Border and Coast Guard

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10 September 2017

Includes in EU-Turkey deal report: "Additional Hellenic Police officers are needed to better control entry/exit points and for patrolling inside the hotspots. The Greek Reception and Identification Service, in cooperation with EASO, is looking into establishing electronic entry/exit control systems at all hotspots, starting with a pilot project in Moria [Lesvos]."

And: "The Hellenic Police to issue return decisions at the same time as the notification of negative first instance asylum decisions."

EU-Turkey deal

• Seventh Report on the Progress made in the implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement (COM 470-17, pdf)

• Annex 1 (pdf):

"Additional Hellenic Police officers are needed to better control entry/exit points and for patrolling inside the hotspots. The Greek Reception and Identification Service, in cooperation with EASO, is looking into establishing electronic entry/exit control systems at all hotspots, starting with a pilot project in Moria."

And: "The Greek authorities to explore the possibility to limit the number of appeal steps."

And: "The Hellenic Police to issue return decisions at the same time as the notification of negative first instance asylum decisions. The technical and IT adjustments to implement the action in question are being considered by the Hellenic Police."

And: "The Greek authorities to keep a clear and accurate system of registration and case follow-up on all irregular migrants in order to facilitate the planning and carrying out of return procedures, introduce an electronic case follow-up system and continue to enforce the geographical restriction for migrants present on the hotspot islands."

And: "The Greek authorities, with EU support, to create sufficient detention capacity on the islands as soon as possible, in cooperation with local authorities whenever possible. The pre-removal capacity in Kos is now at 500 places and in Moria at 210 places. On Samos, the pre-removal detention area, which is being built in the upper area of the hotspot, will be completed as soon as the residents of this area are transferred to another part of the hotspot, which is difficult to implement in the immediate future given the recent increase in arrivals."

• Operational implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement (pdf)

The total number of returns from Greece to Turkey under the "Bilateral protocol" since 21 March 2016 has been 588 people.

The total number of returns under the "dodgy" Turkey Statement in 2016 was 801

The total number of returns under the "dodgy" Turkey Statement in 2017 is so far 506.

Overall total: 1,895.

The total deployment of Frontex, the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) and others in Greece is 1,177: The largest number 327 "Border Surveillance Officers and Crew Members assigned to Frontex (including the UK Border Force boat "Valiant" stationed in Mytilni harbour) plus 280 Security Officers - assigned to Frontex and 105 "Escort officers and readmission experts" under Frontex. Plus 1 NATO liaison officer.

See also: Challenge mounted to Court judgment on opposing access to the documents concerning the EU-Turkey deal of 18 March 2016

Partnership Framework

The Commission has issued its latest report: Partnership Framework on Migration: Joint management of migration shows positive results (Press release, pdf) which is geared to requiring return and readmission agreements with African countries of they will suffer the "consequences" through the loss of trade and aid:

"The Fifth progress report on the Partnership Framework on Migration, presented today by the Commission and the High Representative, shows that measures put in place to better manage migration along the Central Mediterranean Route and with partners in Africa are starting to bear fruits."

• Fifth Progress Report on the Partnership Framework with third countries under the European Agenda on Migration (COM 471-17, pdf)

• Factsheet (pdf)

• Factsheet - Libya (pdf):

"The training of the Coastguard is being implemented in three packages. Operation Sophia has been able to formally complete an initial package of sea-based training for an initial group of 93 trainees, including 39 personnel for patrol boat crews. Operation Sophia initiated a second package of shore-based training as of late January 2017 in Greece and Malta resulting in the training of an additional 40 personnel. An offer for subsequent modules was recently confirmed by Italy and Spain for respectively 255 and 36 personnel subject to Libyan navy coastguard’s ability to identify further training audience."

15th report on relocation

• Press release on 15th report on relocation (pdf): "European Agenda on Migration: Good progress in managing migration flows needs to be sustained."

• Fifteenth report on relocation and resettlement (COM 465-17, pdf)

• Annex 1: Greece (pdf) To date there have been 29,228 pledges for relocation but only 19,228 have been carried out. The requirement is for 60,382

• Annex 2: Italy (pdf) To date there have been 15,742 pledges but only 8,451 carried out. The requirement is for 34,953.

• Annex 3: relocations from Greece & Italy (pdf) Italy and Greece taken together 98,255 places legally required but only 27,695 have been carried out.

European Border and Coast Guard

• Operationalisation of the European Border and Coast Guard (COM 467-17, pdf)