Third report on the progress made in the implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement

The Commission's progress reports on the implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement have charted a consistent trend, showing a steady delivery of results in the face of many challenges.

A core goal of the Statement is to break the business model of smugglers exploiting migrants and refugees taking the potentially fatal risk of irregular crossings from Turkey into Greece. The substantial fall in both crossings and fatalities since the entry into force of the Statement is testament to its effective delivery. However, as some individuals continue to make the crossing, while returns from Greece to Turkey proceed at a slow pace, additional pressure is put on the reception facilities on the Greek islands. While the overall scale of flows towards Greece remains far less than before the Statement, this deserves careful monitoring.

There has also been progress on other elements of the Statement. The structures are in place that should allow effective returns to Turkey once proceedings on the admissibility or merits of asylum applications are concluded. The pace of resettlement of Syrian refugees from Turkey has been accelerating. The EU has now allocated over €2.2 billion of the €3 billion Facility for Refugees in Turkey.

During the period covered by this Report, an attempted coup shook Turkey on 15-16 July, claiming 241 lives and leaving some 2,200 people wounded. The failed coup represented a direct attack on democracy in Turkey. The EU strongly condemned the coup and expressed its full support and solidarity to Turkey and its democratic institutions, as a candidate country and a key partner of the EU and also called on the Turkish authorities to observe the highest standards in the rule of law and fundamental rights.

In a series of high-level visits and notably on the occasion of the High Level Political Dialogue on 9 September 2016, the EU set out this position and confirmed its determination to continue working with a democratic, inclusive and stable Turkey on all fronts. Cooperation in the area of migration was actively discussed with the Turkish counterparts who reaffirmed the commitment of Turkey to continue the implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement. This commitment is reflected in the developments set out in this Report. It sets out the continued trend of progress, and the measures needed to deepen the delivery of the Statement and to consolidate the work still further.

ESO: Background information: Delivering on migration and border management: Commission reports on progress made under the European Agenda on Migration, September 2016 http://www.europeansources.info/record/delivering-on-migration-and-border-management-commission-reports-on-progress-made-under-the-european-agenda-on-migration/

---