EU Pledges to Help Set Up 100,000 Places in Reception Centres in Greece and Balkans

Strategic Insights -

The European Union has pledged to help set up 100,000 places in reception centres in Greece and the western Balkans to deal with the influx of refugees and asylum seekers from the Middle East. The ten EU leaders who attended the mini summit in Brussels agreed on a 17-step plan to help Albania, Serbia, and Macedonia, including speeding up information exchanges between countries to coordinate efforts, especially on border controls. The EU also agreed to provide humanitarian support to new arrivals, but it remains unclear how these places will be set up.

Key Takeaways:

  • The EU has pledged to help set up 100,000 places in reception centres in Greece and the western Balkans to deal with the influx of refugees and asylum seekers.
  • The 17-step plan includes speeding up information exchanges between countries to coordinate efforts, especially on border controls.
  • The plan also includes an undertaking that no country will let migrants through to an adjoining state without first getting their neighbor's agreement.
  • The EU will provide humanitarian support to new arrivals, but it remains unclear how these places will be set up.
  • Gauri Van Gulik, Amnesty International's deputy director for Europe and Central Asia, said that "the key thing is the support new arrivals receive, but also humanitarian support. But mainly, and this is the key missing part of what was agreed, we need to see a clear political agreement of where these people go next, because they cannot stay in Greece."
  • Dušan Reljić, the head of the Brussels office of the German Institute for International and Security affairs, said that the crisis will not end anytime soon, and that "it will really depend on Turkey because that's where most people start their journey."

Statistics:

  • 670,000 people have reached Europe so far this year.
  • The EU budget for refugee support is 3 billion euros per year.
  • 20,000 reception places will be set up with families.
  • 30,000 reception places will be made available this year.
  • The current asylum application processing time in Greece is unclear.
  • 100,000 people are expected to arrive in Europe by the end of the year.

Sources:

  • "EU leaders pledge to help with refugee crisis" by Radio France Internationale (english.rfi.fr)
  • Gauri Van Gulik, Amnesty International's deputy director for Europe and Central Asia
  • Dušan Reljić, the head of the Brussels office of the German Institute for International and Security affairs