Attachments
Planning and Preparedness: On 2 March, the European Commission (EC) proposed a new Emergency Assistance instrument. If agreed by the European Parliament and Council, €700 million will be made available to complement Member States’ direct contributions to humanitarian response inside the EU. The mechanism would be managed the EC’s Department for Overseas Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO), and implemented by partners.
Arrivals and Departures: In Austria, asylum applications decreased significantly to 497 applications per week, while some 1,733, 1,229 and 820 applications were filed on average in the past three weeks respectively.
Swedish Minister for Justice and Migration, Morgan Johansson, announced that border controls will be extended for an additional 30 days until 8 April 2016; with the possibility of further extension.
Condition of People: In a press release, the European Commission confirmed that the Greek authorities are in the process of returning 308 people to Turkey, noting that the European Union is increasing efforts to ensure that people who do not qualify for international protection in Europe will be returned to their countries of origin or transit.
The Deputy Director of Frontex, Berndt Korner, stated that the agency stands ready to provide further support to the Greek government regarding the return of people determined ineligible to receive international protection status, should Greek authorities request it.