Brussels is to put more pressure on Greece to improve conditions for asylum seekers in an effort to make it easier for other EU member states to send migrants back to Greece, says a Financial Times report.
According to the report, the European Commission will on Wednesday set out a list of concrete steps that it expects Athens to take in order to bring their migrant hospitality facilities in line with international standards, including the provision of tribunals to hear asylum claims.
Europe is trying to control the massive inflow of migrants coming from Turkey and then through Greece. Several EU member states have expressed concerns over Greece’s ability to control Europe’s external borders.
A key point of contention is the EU’s Dublin regulation, the report says. The regulation requires the member state in which refugees first arrive to register them and accept their applications for asylum. Asylum seekers who later move elsewhere in the bloc can be deported back to the EU country in which they first arrived.
Greece and other frontier states have been accused of shirking their Dublin responsibilities so that migrants can pass through quickly on their way to Germany and other favorable member states.
However, deportations to Greece have been banned since 2011 when the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the country’s asylum system was “degrading.” In a further move, the European Court of Justice forbade member states from sending people back to countries where they might face “inhumane” or “degrading” treatment.
On Wednesday, the EC will present Greece a list of specific steps to improve its reception facilities, health provision and establish a better system of tribunals to hear asylum cases. Greece will be asked to report on progress on a monthly basis, according to the Financial Times.
The plan comes ahead of another summit on the migrant crisis on February 18-19 in Brussels. EU leaders will call on countries at the bloc’s borders, such as Greece and Italy, to refuse entry to people who have not made an asylum claim “despite having had the opportunity to do so,” according to draft conclusions from the meeting.
Senior EU officials see the summit as a last chance to address the flaws in the bloc’s migration strategy and set in motion the preparations for a Plan B if more drastic measures to halt the flow of migrants are required this spring.
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has complained that EU plans to build more migrant processing centers in his country, risking making Greece a “black box” for refugees who will become trapped on their way to central Europe.
Deputy Minister for Migration Policy Yiannis Mouzalas admitted on Star television late Monday night that there is a possibility Europe might shut its borders, even though Greece meets its commitments.
Mouzalas said that Europe might decide on unpleasant actions during the upcoming EU Summit, which would have negative consequences for Greece. However, the deputy said, the Greek government is prepared for such an eventuality.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
