Migration Europe relocated narratives

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Oct 10 2017 Print

EU Emergency relocation scheme 2015 - 2018

 

Based on Commission proposals, the Justice and Home Affairs Council adopted in September 2015 two Decisions to relocate asylum seekers from Italy and Greece, to assist them in dealing with the pressures of the refugee crisis. Under the emergency relocation scheme, up to 106,000 asylum seekers with a high chance of having their applications successfully processed (EU average recognition rate of over 75%) were to be relocated from Greece and Italy, where they had arrived, to other Member States where they would have their asylum applications processed.  Between October 2015 and April 2018, IOM assisted the relocation of 34,694 persons in need of international protection with pre-departure health assessments, pre-departure orientation and movement management. A majority of them were male (63%), adults (68%), and of Syrian (52%), Eritrean (35%) and Iraqi (11%) nationality. The scheme also benefitted 585 unaccompanied or separated migrant children. Due to the strict eligibility criteria, the changes in criteria during the implementation of the scheme, as well as the drop in arrivals to Greece and Italy during the project implementation, the number of assisted beneficiaries is considerably lower than the target of 106,000 persons. Almost all eligible persons registered in Greece and in Italy have been successfully relocated to another European state with the assistance of IOM.