Four years after the toxic EU-Turkey “deal” came into effect, the Eastern Aegean islands continue to experience its harmful consequences. Thousands of refugees and migrants continue to find themselves confined in horrible conditions in the five hotspots of Kos, Leros, Samos, Lesvos and Chios. At the same time, the government’s plans to establish closed facilities were faced with protests by the local communities in February 2020, clashes with riot police, as well as reported police violence. This was a novel event in the contemporary history of the islands.
Successive legislative reforms introduced over the past year have continued to have a significant adverse impact on the quality of asylum procedure and procedural safeguards and have rendered more asylum seekers detainable, for longer periods, and with less guarantees.
RSA regularly documents the impact of the implementation of the EU-Turkey deal on the rule of law and lives of asylum seekers and the local population. The organisation also represents cases of asylum-seekers confined on the islands before the Greek authorities, as well as before the European Court of Human Rights in cases of persons facing imminent risk of removal or dire living conditions.
CJEU’s judgment of major importance
The “safe third country” concept is under scrutiny by the CJEU, PRO ASYL and RSA are calling for an end to the EU-Turkey deal
As European role model it represents a frontal attack on international refugee protection
Joint Letter: Repeal the national list of safe third countries
Refugee Support Aegean (RSA) and PRO ASYL call upon the European Commission to immediately launch infringement proceedings against Greece regarding systemic violations of international and EU law, stemming from the arbitrary rejection of asylum applications based on the “safe third country” concept and from the prevention of refugees’ access to asylum procedures.
Michalis Psimitis, Professor of Sociology at the University of the Aegean and Coordinator of the Anti-Racist Observatory of the University of the Aegean, explains the goals served by the escalation of control and surveillance regimes for refugees
RSA publishes the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) “Turkey: Content of Protection – Country Information Pack”, last updated in August 2019.
Refugees and islanders talked about the effects of the deal on their lives and on local communities. The event was coordinated by journalist Fotini Lampridi.
Four experts present the impact of confinement on the mental health, rights and life of the “children of the deal”.
Three illustrative stories of refugees who experienced the tragic consequences of the implementation of the “deal” at any cost remind us that human rights are trampled every day in the Reception and Identification Centres of the Aegean islands.
The Statement / “Deal” of the Heads of European Union (EU) Member States and Turkey represents an institutional deviation, five…
Since March 2016 the Statement / “Deal” of the Heads of European Union (EU) Member States and Turkey represents an…
Download theLegal Note From its very inception in early March 2016, the EU-Turkey deal signed on 18 March 2016 was…
Statistics provided by the Appeals Authority to Refugee Support Aegean (RSA)[1] give rise to important observations on the examination of…
We, the undersigned organizations working in the area of human rights, express our gravest concerns regarding the recent arrests in…
Manifesto for the 2019 European elections by 5 organisations from France, Germany, Greece, Italy and Spain
(Athens, December 6, 2018) – The Greek government and its European Union partners should urgently ensure that all asylum seekers…
The situation in the Aegean hotspots remains very critical despite persistent calls from NGOs and international organizations to end the…
Athens 24 October 2018 With regard to the intensification of the problems in the islands of Eastern Aegean, both concerning…
Gradually, hotspots on the Greek islands have acquired more characteristics far different to those initially announced in terms of their…
On 9 August, the Aegean became once more a graveyard for seven refugee children after a boat carrying around 13…
In the absence of a real refugee and migration crisis on the external borders of Europe this year, arrivals down…
In the framework of their campaign #StopTheToxicDeal RSA and PRO ASYL publish today their common statement against the toxic EU-Turkey…
In the framework of their campaign #StopTheToxicDeal RSA and PRO ASYL publish today the final topic that concerns Turkey as…
In the framework of their campaign #StopTheToxicDeal RSA and PRO ASYL publish today the fourth topic that concerns Detention. #StopTheToxicDeal
In the framework of their campaign #StopTheToxicDeal RSA and PRO ASYL publish today the third topic that concerns vulnerability. #StopTheToxicDeal
In the framework of their campaign #StopTheToxicDeal RSA and PRO ASYL publish today the second topic that concerns xenophobia #StopTheToxicDeal
In the framework of their campaign #StopTheToxicdeal RSA and PRO ASYL publish today the first topic that concerns reception conditions…
#StopTheToxicDeaL Two years after its implementation, the EU-Turkey ‘deal’ still stands at the forefront of European Union (EU) Policy on…
By the Legal Aid Actors Task Force, January 2018 The following observations are drawn from the experience of 14 organisations assisting…
At the end of October the Ministry of Migration Policy has decided to decongest 2000 people from overcrowded hot-spots in…
LEGAL NOTE UNHCR has Failed to Stand Up for Refugee Rights During Crucial EU-Turkey Deal Judgement October 20th 2017 On…
The highest administrate Greek court, the Council of State confirmed in a judgment published on 22 September, the decisions of…
The Council of State, the Supreme Administrative Court of Greece, has on Friday decided against the appeals of two Syrians…
Day by day the situation regarding serious human rights violations in Turkey is deteriorating, while the crisis in the relations…
Hundreds of refugees that entered EU through Greece and reached other EU countries after 15th of March are in danger…
Following the departure of Non-governmental organisations (NGOs), medical and social services have seriously been minimised in the Registration and Identification…
(a joint PRO ASYL / Refugee Support Aegean (RSA) Policy Note) 14th June 2017 Greek Hotspots: Deaths Not to Be…
A Syrian refugee, a Christian of Armenian origin, who lived for about a year in Turkey under the precarious ‘temporary…
On March 30th a new pre-removal detention center was opened on Kos Island. Similar detention centers are planned on other…
A policy note of the RSA team and partner of PRO ASYL in Greece lays open the fatal consequences the…
“A crucial day for refugee protection in Europe” Athens/Chios/Frankfurt: Today the highest Greek Court will hold a hearing to examine whether…