Summaries of the situations of refugees in the EuroMed region by country

Published: 1 Sep 2016

Hello everyone,

Below is some info on the situation in the EuroMed region. Let me express here our deep worries and solidarity with our Turkish friends. So far we have no visibility at all as to what impact the whole situation will have on refugees and migrants, especially in the context of negotiations with the EU. I let them tell us more accordingly.

Here under a quick roundup of the fresh news on the region. Please send us your news from your country so we can regularly follow up on what is going on.

BULGARIA

  • In the end of May 2016, Bulgaria signed a protocol with Turkey for the implementation of the EU-Turkey agreement, which, in essence, allows Bulgaria to summarily return people coming in “illegally” from Turkey; it is a legalisation of the push-backs that we know are happening unofficially now. Centre for Legal Aid was not able to get ahold of the actual text of the protocol.
  • Several instances of groups of migrants being returned to Greece, on the spot, mostly people trying to come in by train.
  • Legislative change since start of 2016 allowing the army to patrol the border, in addition to Border Police.
  • Also, note that for the first time in 2015, Bulgaria was the organiser of a Frontex coordinated joint return operation, to Pakistan, with Austria, Spain, Poland, Germany and the Netherlands as participating Member States.

CYPRUS

  • Relocations: Cyprus has received a number of people relocated from Italy and Greece hotspots. They were brought to the Kofinou asylum-seekers reception centre (the only reception centre which is located in the countryside). Doros informed me that some protests occurred regarding the reception conditions of these people.

EGYPT

  • Very little news from our friends from the Egyptian foundations, who are not included in these listserv, as you know the situation is very worrying in the country, most of human rights defenders are facing travel bans if not arrests. In Egypt also, foreign funding is being filtered and NGOs accused of intelligence work. See our alerts and campaigning.

GREECE

  • About 57,000 migrants based in Greece at present, including 60% to 90% who could apply for family reunification in another EU country (according to estimates provided by the German NGO called ProAsyl).
  • Situation in the hotspots: about 8,650 people in the Aegean islands. Some of the people who arrived on 20 March were still not able to register as asylum-seekers should they wish so.
  • Asylum procedure. 13 officers only are tasked with family reunification in the asylum services at present. Since 8 June, a “pre-registration” service allows people in mainland Greece to pre-register so they can then lodge an asylum claim when their time will come (important backlog)–UNHCR/EASO/Greek asylum services. 24,000 people were “pre-registered” as of 12 July according to ProAsyl. It is estimated that about 49,000 people who arrived between 1 January and 20 March should pre-register. Refugees will receive an appointment booking per SMS in August apparently…
  • The problem with the pre-registration system, it seems, is that it sometimes excludes people from family reunification procedure under the Dublin system…
  • People from the Maghreb: Marie Lavrentiadou informed me lately that migrants coming from the Maghreb are left stranded in the islands without any document.
  • Situation at the Greek-Macedonian border: like the UNHCR stated on 27 May, “UNHCR is seriously concerned about sub-standard conditions at several sites in northern Greece where refugees and migrants were evacuated this week from the makeshift site at Idomeni, and urges the Greek authorities, with the financial support provided by the European Union, to find better alternatives quickly.”
  • As of early June 2016, 54 out of the 55 camps were still only equipped with tents. Sub-standard living conditions are also reported (based on UN standards).

ITALY

  • Another protest earlier this month at the French-Italy border in Vintimille to request that the border is open. Since 2015 and the “migrant crisis,” France has imposed internal border control at its border with Italy. A number of cases of unaccompanied minors are adding to the concerns that the same situation develops as in Idomeni or Calais, or even Nador.

ISRAEL

  • The law on associations was passed with dire consequences for our partners there, Hotline for Refugees and Migrants as well as Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI). EuroMed reacted to this policy development: “Under this law, NGOs that receive support from foreign institutional bodies will have to declare such funding verbally and in writing on all official documents. The purpose of the law is to attack human rights organisations”.
  • Report on victim of torture who have crossed the Sinaï, and who are lacking support as asylum-seekers and victims of specific mistreatment in the country, by PHRI.

JORDAN

  • Humanitarian aid has been granted to between 85,000 and 100,000 refugees from Syria stuck at the border. The aid will only be delivered temporarily according to the Jordanian authorities, until the UN finds an alternative.
  • The Jordanian government agreed to deliver 200,000 work permits to refugees from Syria back in February (London conference). According to Tamkeen, 22,000 work permits have been delivered so far.
  • This looks like good news at first sight. Like Linda points out, hopefully this may open the way to provide work permits to migrants as well (as the Jordanian government is obviously in need of manpower).
  • The government allowed for Syrians to get semi-self-employment in two sectors till now, agricultural and construction, regardless of the name of employers: “polishing sponsorship system” like Linda puts it.
  • Still, a number of issues are at stake as stressed by Domenique and Linda: This development is detrimental to other migrant workers’ communities, especially Egyptians (“huge campaign to arrest and deport them,” apparently).
  • This New York Times article is pointing out these aspects quite thoroughly.

LEBANON

  • Discrimination against refugees from Syria on the rise in the country including curfews and some municipalities calling for people to report “suspicious behaviours” of Syrians.
  • March against racism gathered 200 people in the well-off/liberal neighbourhood of Beirut on 18 July.

TURKEY

  • Turkish president announced he would give the possibility for refugees from Syria to obtain Turkish citizenship. No info was provided as to the procedure and the conditions, apparently some elements will be brought forward in the coming weeks.

DEATHS AT SEA

  • While the number of shipwrecks has decreased in the Aegean Sea, there is an increase in the number of people attempting to reach Europe by another route, i.e. Central Mediterranean, which is way more dangerous.
  • There was a case of push-back by the Greek coast guards reported by the WatchTheMed/Alarm Phone project: We sent a joint letter in the name of Watch The Med/Alarm Phone and Frontexit to Frontex to find out more. I will let you know. I am not sure if the EU-Turkey deal let to increased border control that stop people from embarking on vessels from the Turkish coasts.

Best,

Marie Martin

EuroMed Rights

Migration & Asylum Programme Officer

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