EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RELOCATION AGREEMENT – Immediate relocation of refugees in the EU Member States

The Resolution on the Implementation of the Refugee Relocation Agreement from Greece and Italy was adopted on Thursday 18/5 by the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The resolution, adopted by an increased majority, is strengthening the European calls for immediate implementation of the resettlement system by all EU Member States.

It should also be noted that 160,000 asylum seekers should have been transferred by September 2017 from Italy and Greece to the other EU Member States, in accordance with two emergency decisions adopted since September 2015.

So far only 18,000 refugees have been relocated, about 11% of the 160,000 target. Malta and Finland have so far been the only countries that have responded and are expected to meet their obligations to Italy and Greece.

A very limited number of relocations have been made by Bulgaria, Croatia, and Slovakia. While Austria has stopped relocating, it has pledged to start soon. On the other hand, countries like Hungary and Poland continue to refuse to participate in the program, although they have signed up.

The new resolution adopted by the European Parliament once again calls on the Member States “not to resort to arbitrary decisions” and “to fulfill their obligations under Council decisions” by systematically transferring asylum seekers from Greece And Italy, “including those arriving after 20 March 2016”, within the deadline and until the target of 160 000 relocations is met.

The resolution also notes that “the legal obligations of the Member States do not cease after 26 September 2017” and invites them “either to accept the request for relocation or to justify refusals based solely on the specific reasons set out in the Council Decisions on relocations. “