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Greece + 18 more

Operations Cell (Updated April 27, 2016 4:55 PM)

Attachments

Arrivals and Departures

According to the media, 49 people were returned to Turkey from the Greek islands of Chios, Kos and Lesvos on Tuesday. 5 people were readmitted to Turkey from Chios in the morning followed by 31 (18 Bangladeshi, 4 Pakistani and 9 from Myanmar) from Kos at midday and 13 people (8 from Afghanistan, 4 from Iran and 1 person from Jordan) from Lesvos. On Wednesday, 12 Syrian nationals who expressed their will to return to Turkey boarded a plane at the airport of Mytilini. Frontex officials escorted the group onto the plane, airport formalities were conducted smoothly and UNHCR verified the composition of the group. The plane is expected to depart at midday, and land in Adana, Turkey. 387 people have been transferred to Turkey since 4 April.

Conditions of People

At Piraeus Port, efforts to decongest the port are on-going. All those previously located at the E2 Gate were transferred. Refugees and migrants who did not move to official sites established by the Greek authorities were transferred to the stone warehouse at the Port. According to the Greek Government, the number of people remaining at E1 Gate and the stone warehouse is estimated at 2,707. Those remaining at E1 Gate will be transferred by the end of next week.

UNHCR supported the transfer of 53 people from the EKO gas station and 47 from the Eidomeni informal site, to Lagkadikia accommodation site. Those at the site are mainly Syrian and Iraqi families with children.

According to media, the Director of the Greek Asylum Service announced that people are now able to lodge asylum claims directly at temporary accommodation centres following difficulties in obtaining an appointment via Skype. As of 25 April, authorities will examine 50 applications per day on the islands. So far (as of 20 April), the Asylum Service registered 3,870 applications for relocation, of which 1,570 were accepted by EU Member States.

In Turkey, during the period between 22 to26 April, sources reported that some 270 people were apprehended, intercepted, or rescued at Turkey’s land and sea borders. Their countries of origin include Afghanistan, Iran, Myanmar, Pakistan, Palestine and Syria.

Critical Developments

In a letter to the European Commission sent on Tuesday, 26 April, the Turkish government pledged to bolster legal protection to non-Syrians upon return to Turkey as part of the EU-Turkey Agreement. This follows previous assurances concerning Syrians and the fact that all returned Syrians could be granted or re-avail themselves from temporary protection. These pledges aim to support the implementation of the EUTurkey agreement by addressing the remaining legal concerns hampering its full implementation.