New EU recommendation “returns” migrants to Greece!

The competent EU committee issued a recommendation-decision on Wednesday that effectively reinstates the previous Dublin Accord regulations, according to which immigrants that used Greece as an entry point into the EU could be sent back to the original point of entry, in this case Greece.

After the complete failure of the EU relocation program, which aimed at a fairer distribution of migrants across the EU member-states, the new decision will mean that Greece would have to bear the burden of a larger number of people in its already overflowing hotspots. The number of migrants that entered the EU in 2015 via Greece is estimated at 1 million.

The new charter concerns any migrants applying for asylum after Wednesday, March 15, with the exception of unescorted children and vulnerable people. The recommendation is based on the decisions reached by the EC in December.

It should be noted that any migrants that have applied for asylum before March 15, continue to enjoy any rights acquired in the countries of application. This could place Greece under enormous pressure, given the current tensions between Turkey and the EU, which could seriously affect the refugee agreement.