
Belgium: EU states may return refugees to Greece from March 2017 - commissioner
EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos announced an EU proposal that would allow member states to resume returning asylum seekers to Greece from March 2017, at a press conference in Brussels, Thursday.
Avramopoulos commended Greece's "significant progress" in installing "a fully functioning asylum system" under "very pressing" conditions.
Despite its progress, the EU commissioner for migration stressed that Greece is "facing huge challenges in implementing the EU-Turkey statement [the EU-Turkey deal reached on March 18]," before adding that "no single member state should be shouldering such responsibilities alone" and that "neither Greece, nor Italy, nor any other country in the future should be left alone to bear an unsustainable burden."
His statement was followed by his announcement of an EU proposal recommending "a gradual resumption of Dublin transfers of asylum seekers" starting from March 2017.
According to the new proposal, Dublin transfers are not to be applied retroactively, with the returns system only applying to refugees who travel to other countries after March 15, 2017. Under the new accord, unaccompanied minors and vulnerable individuals are to be excluded from the transfers.
Avramopoulos also added that all transfers should be carried out "on the basis of individual assurances" and that Greece must provide guarantees that refugees will be "received in the conditions mandated by European law."

EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos announced an EU proposal that would allow member states to resume returning asylum seekers to Greece from March 2017, at a press conference in Brussels, Thursday.
Avramopoulos commended Greece's "significant progress" in installing "a fully functioning asylum system" under "very pressing" conditions.
Despite its progress, the EU commissioner for migration stressed that Greece is "facing huge challenges in implementing the EU-Turkey statement [the EU-Turkey deal reached on March 18]," before adding that "no single member state should be shouldering such responsibilities alone" and that "neither Greece, nor Italy, nor any other country in the future should be left alone to bear an unsustainable burden."
His statement was followed by his announcement of an EU proposal recommending "a gradual resumption of Dublin transfers of asylum seekers" starting from March 2017.
According to the new proposal, Dublin transfers are not to be applied retroactively, with the returns system only applying to refugees who travel to other countries after March 15, 2017. Under the new accord, unaccompanied minors and vulnerable individuals are to be excluded from the transfers.
Avramopoulos also added that all transfers should be carried out "on the basis of individual assurances" and that Greece must provide guarantees that refugees will be "received in the conditions mandated by European law."