COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL AND THE COUNCIL NEXT OPERATIONAL STEPS IN EU-TURKEY COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF MIGRATION
Date: 2016-03-16
Institutions: European Commission, Secretariat-General
Subjects: EU aid, Greece, Türkiye, action programme, admission of aliens, aid to refugees, cross-border cooperation, external border of the EU, migration

EN 

   EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 16.3.2016  COM(2016) 166 final   COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL AND THE COUNCIL NEXT OPERATIONAL STEPS IN EU-TURKEY COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF MIGRATION  
 
 
1. 

INTRODUCTION 

On 7 March 2016, the Heads of State or Government of the European Union and the Prime 
Minister  of  Turkey  discussed  EU-Turkey  relations  and  the  progress  made  in  the 
implementation of the Joint Action Plan.1  

It was agreed that bold moves were needed to close down people smuggling routes, to break 
the business model of the smugglers, to protect our external borders and to end the migration 
crisis in Europe. The need to break the link between getting in a boat and staying in Europe 
was emphasised.  

The NATO operation in the Aegean Sea, one of the tasks of which will be to identify potential 
smuggling activity and notify the Turkish authorities in real time, is an important element in 
these  efforts.  Cooperation  between  the  NATO  operation  and  Frontex  will  be  crucial  in 
stemming the flow of irregular migrants.  

To  decrease  the  irregular  flow  of  migrants  from  Turkey  to  the  EU,  the  leaders  warmly 
welcomed the additional proposals made by Turkey and agreed to work with Turkey on the 
basis of a set of six principles. The President of the European Council was requested to take 
forward  these  proposals  and  work  out  the  details  with  Turkey  before  the  March  European 
Council.  This  Communication  sets  out  how  the  six  principles  should  be  taken  forward, 
delivering  on  the  full  potential  for  EU-Turkey  cooperation  while  respecting  European  and 
international law. 

Together  with  joint  European  solutions  and  the  comprehensive  implementation  of  the 
European  Migration  Agenda,  cooperation  between  EU  and  Turkey  is  key  for  an  effective 
response to the refugee and migrant challenge.  

These  joint  efforts  to  deal  with  refugees  are  part  of  our  global  engagement  with  Turkey  as 
candidate country and as strategic partner.  

2. 

SIX PRINCIPLES FOR FURTHER DEVELOPING EU-TURKEY 
COOPERATION IN TACKLING THE MIGRATION CRISIS 

2.1  Returning all new irregular migrants crossing from Turkey into the Greek islands 

The  return  of  all  new  irregular  migrants  and  asylum  seekers  from  Greece  to  Turkey  is  an 
essential component in breaking the pattern of refugees and  migrants paying smugglers and 
risking  their  lives.  It  is  self-evident  that  the  arrangements  for  such  returns,  both  of  those  in 
need of international protection, and those who are not, can only be carried out in line with the 
refugee  protection  safeguards  that  have  been  put  in  place  in  international  and  EU  law. 
Moreover, given the extent of flows currently between Turkey and Greece, such arrangements 
should be considered as a temporary and extraordinary measure which is necessary to end the 
human suffering and restore public order and which needs to be supported with the relevant 
operational framework.  

Recently progress has been made in the readmission of irregular migrants and asylum seekers 
not in need of international protection to Turkey under the bilateral Readmission Agreement 

1   Statement of the Heads of State or Government (Brussels, 7 March 2016). 

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between  Greece  and  Turkey2.  New  arrangements  on  returns  should  build  on  this  progress, 
with all parties working together to facilitate swift and effective returns.  

Legal safeguards for returning persons in need of international protection to Turkey  

The return to Turkey  of  all  irregular  migrants  and asylum  seekers  newly arriving  in Greece 
must  be  carried  out  in  respect  of  European  and  international  law.  It  is  a  fundamental 
requirement  flowing  from  the  European  Convention  on  Human  Rights  and  the  Charter  of 
Fundamental  Rights  that  every  case  needs  to  be  treated  individually.  In  that  regard,  the 
Asylum Procedures Directive lays down the particular legal and procedural parameters to be 
respected. There is therefore no question of applying a "blanket" return policy, as this would 
run contrary to these legal requirements. 

The  Directive  recognises  that  in  certain  circumstances  an  expedited  procedure  can  apply 
whereby there is no need to examine the substance of an application.  Instead, in these cases 
asylum  applications  can  be  considered  inadmissible,  in  particular  where  it  can  be  expected 
that  another  country  would  carry  out  the  examination  or  provide  sufficient  protection.  This 
would  arise,  for  example,  if  a  person  has  been  already  recognised  as  a  refugee  or  would 
otherwise enjoy sufficient protection in a "first country of asylum", or if a person has come to 
the  EU  from  a  "safe  third  country",  where  –  even  though  the  person  has  not  received 
protection – the third country can nevertheless guarantee effective access to protection3.  

In  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  the  Asylum  Procedures  Directive,  a  number  of 
safeguards need to be respected. Having first been duly registered and identified in line with 
EU  rules,  a  person  that  has  lodged  an  asylum  claim  in  Greece  should  be  given  a  personal 
interview when the responsible authority considers that the individual falls into one of these 
categories of inadmissibility.  This allows a screening to occur to identify  whether there are 
particular circumstances that arise. There is also a right of appeal against the inadmissibility 
decision4. In the case of the "first country of asylum", in addition to having been recognised 
as a refugee, this can also apply when the person enjoys "sufficient protection". In the case of 
the "safe third country", the Directive defines conditions both in terms of the conditions in the 
third country concerned, and in respect of the person concerned. Before returning a person in 
need of international protection Member States need to be satisfied that the third country will 
respect a set of standards concerning fundamental rights, non-discrimination, and respect for 
international law. 

It appears that to apply these provisions changes would be required to both Greek and Turkish 
domestic legislation. In the case of Greece, this applies to the status of Turkey as a "safe third 
country" and will entail a number of detailed procedural rules in areas like appeal procedures. 
In the case of Turkey, this applies in areas like the renewal of temporary protection status for 
Syrians who had left Turkey, access to effective asylum procedures for all persons in need of 
international protection, as committed to by Turkey in the Joint EU-Turkey Action Plan, and 
ensuring  that  protection  equivalent  to  the  Geneva  Convention  is  afforded  to  non-Syrians, 
notably those returned.  

2   From  1  June 2016,  this will  be  succeeded  by  the  EU-Turkey  Readmission Agreement,  following  the  entry 
into force of the provisions on readmission of third country nationals of this agreement Provided the decision 
advancing  their  entry  into  force  is  adopted  by  the  Joint  Readmission  Committee  and  approved  by  Turkish 
parliament before that date. 

3   Provisions  on  "first  country  of  asylum"  are  set  out  in  Article  35  of  the  Asylum  Procedures  Directive,  and 

provisions on "safe third country" in Article 38. 

4   See  Article  46  of  the  Asylum  Procedures  Directive.  An  appeal  will  automatically  allow  an  applicant  to 
remain in the territory in a situation where the decision is based on the existence of a "safe third country", 
while in the case of an appeal against a decision based on a "first country of asylum" it is sufficient that the 
court has the power to rule whether the applicant may remain in the territory.   

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Once the inadmissibility of an asylum claim has been established, or the claim is determined 
to be unfounded, a person can be returned under the applicable readmission agreement.  The 
principle  of  non-refoulement  should  be  respected  by  Turkey  in  all  cases,  in  line  with  its 
existing international obligations.  

Provided  these  safeguards  are  respected  by  Greece  and  Turkey,  this  scheme  will  be  in 
accordance with European and international law.  

Practical aspects 

In  line  with  international  and  European  law  requirements  (in  particular  as  regards  the 
individual  assessment  of  applications  for  international  protection),  fast-track  operational 
arrangements between Greece and Turkey can be put in place, more suited to the large scale 
return  of  migrants.  Steps  have  been  taken  to  achieve  this  goal,  with  a  joint  Greek-Turkish 
declaration on readmission issued on 8 March. For example, the principle of using a delegated 
readmission officer with a view to accelerating readmission procedures of irregular migrants 
was agreed. The number of such liaison officers will need to be increased; Greece and Turkey 
have not yet reached an agreement on this increased number.  

To  implement  such  returns,  the  EU  will  support  Greece  to  put  in  place  the  necessary 
infrastructure.  In  particular,  the  hotspots  in  the  islands  in  Greece  will  need  to  be  adapted  – 
with  the  current  focus  on  registration  and  screening  before  swift  transfer  to  the  mainland 
replaced by the objective of implementing returns to Turkey. For instance, the infrastructure 
in  the hotspots  would need  to  be reconfigured to accommodate the readmission  and asylum 
offices and to deal adequately with vulnerable groups.  

Another  important  element  would  be  a  substantial  increase  in  reception  capacity  in  the 
islands. This could include separate facilities for irregular migrants and those undergoing the 
longer procedure of an asylum request, and would require sufficient detention capacity to be 
put in place for individuals who present a risk of absconding.  

Until now, relatively few of those arriving in Greece have applied for asylum. Faced with the 
prospect of a rapid return as a person not in need for international protection, the number of 
asylum  claims  is  likely  to  rise.  The  first  requirement  would  therefore  be  to  put  in  place 
accelerated asylum procedures for all stages of the procedure, from the initial interview to a 
possible  appeal.  The  capacity  of  the  Greek  Asylum  Service  should  be  increased  to  enable 
expedited readmission to Turkey as well as rapid acceptance of asylum applications. Appeal 
Committees should also be able to rule on a high number of appeals within a short period of 
time. In this regard, the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) should also be called upon 
to support the Greek authorities in quickly and effectively processing applications and returns, 
if necessary through an additional and targeted call for assistance from the Member States. 

Finally,  arrangements  would  need  to  be  made  for  large-scale  transport  from  the  islands  to 
Turkey. 

All  these  steps  imply  costs  and  a  first  estimate  calculated  on  the  basis  of  2,000  irregular 
arrivals  per  day,  support  from  the  EU  budget  would  be  needed  at  the  level  of  around  €20 
million a month.  

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2.2  To resettle, for every Syrian readmitted by Turkey from the Greek islands, 

another Syrian from Turkey to the EU, within the framework of the existing 
commitments  

The scheme linking the numbers of Syrians readmitted to Turkey from the Greek islands and 
the number of Syrians resettled from Turkey to the Member States aims to replace, quickly, 
irregular flows of migrants travelling in dangerous conditions across the Aegean by an orderly 
and legal resettlement process.  

The  1:1  resettlement  scheme  that  aims  to  deliver  this  change  will  require  a  sound  logistical 
framework and sufficient resettlement pledges in order to function.  

The  1:1  scheme  will  function  if  Member  States  make  a  sufficient  number  of  resettlement 
pledges. In this connection, the Statement of the Heads of State or Government of 7 March 
2016  specifies  that  the  1:1  scheme  should  function  "within  the  framework  of  the  existing 
commitments".  

A  European  Resettlement  Scheme  is  already  in  place,  which  is  the  natural  first  source  of 
existing resettlements commitments to be linked to the returns of all new irregular migrants 
and  asylum  seekers  from  Greek  islands  to  Turkey.  There  are  some  18,0005  places  left 
available, though part will be taken up by resettlements from Jordan and Lebanon.  

Were a further need for resettlement to arise under the 1:1 scheme, the necessary steps could 
be taken to transfer some of the commitments under the existing relocation decisions, notably 
all or part of the currently unallocated 54,000 places, to the 1:1 scheme6. This would be in line 
with  the  Commission's  existing  policy  of  considering  that  resettlement  and  humanitarian 
admission are equivalent to relocation, as all are concrete expressions of solidarity with other 
Member States or third countries experiencing a mass influx of migrants.7  

The 1:1 scheme is expected to reduce quickly the number of irregular crossings in the Aegean 
Sea.  Its  effectiveness  will  depend  upon  the  full  implementation  of  the  steps  set  out  in  the 
Communication. The EU and Turkey should agree on a weekly joint monitoring mechanism 
to  review  the  progress  made  under  the  scheme.  Any  necessary  adjustments  to  the  scheme 
should be identified in this process.   

Admissions  under  the  Voluntary  Humanitarian  Admission  Scheme8  with  Turkey  will  be 
activated  once  the  irregular  crossings  between  Turkey  and  the  EU  have  come  to  end,  or  at 
least have been very substantially reduced. It will allow for rapid and efficient admission from 
Turkey of persons in need of protection displaced by the conflict in Syria. The Commission 
expects  that  once  irregular  flows  from  Turkey  to  the  EU  have  come  to  end,  the  number  of 
Member States willing to participate in the scheme will increase.  

5   Report on Relocation and Resettlement, COM (2016) XXX, 16 March 2016. 
6   This would require an amendment of the Council Decision to allocate the 54,000 outstanding places within 
the 160,000 total. The budgetary consequences also need to be addressed as there is a difference between the 
funds  made  available  for  each  relocation  place  (€6,500)  and  those  allocated  for  each  resettlement  place 
(€10,000). 

7   Resettlement  from  Turkey  by  Member  States  under  bilateral  resettlement  schemes  should  be  included  the 

total of resettlements by the EU conducted under the 1:1 scheme. 

8   Commission Recommendation of 15.12.2015 for a voluntary humanitarian admission scheme with Turkey, 

C(2015) 9490. 

5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
If  these  efforts  would  succeed,  the  Voluntary  Humanitarian  Admission  Scheme  could  be 
enlarged also to Jordan and Lebanon.  

The logistical framework that underpins the Voluntary Humanitarian Admission Scheme with 
Turkey proposed by the Commission in December 2015 could be used more generally for the 
purposes  of  the  1:1  resettlement  scheme.  The  Voluntary  Humanitarian  Admission  Scheme 
relies on the globally acknowledged expertise of the United Nations High Commissioner for 
Refugees  (UNHCR)  in  facilitating  different  forms  of  admission  of  persons  in  need  of 
international  protection  from  third  countries  to  which  they  have  been  displaced,  to  States 
willing  to  admit  them.  The  experience  and  expertise  of  EASO  and  the  International 
Organisation for Migration (IOM) should also be called upon. For the same reasons as in the 
case  of  the  Voluntary  Humanitarian  Admission  Scheme,  the  1:1  scheme  should  apply  to 
Syrians registered by the Turkish authorities prior to 29 November 2015.  

The  standardised  operating  procedures  agreed  in  the  framework  of  the  Voluntary 
Humanitarian  Admission  Scheme  can  be  used  for  the  more  general  purposes  of  the  1:1 
scheme.  They  deal  in  particular  with  the  selection  of  candidates  and  respect  all  applicable 
international  humanitarian  law  rules.  For  the  purposes  of  the  1:1  scheme,  these  procedures 
should be complemented by a mechanism that creates a disincentive for persons to cross the 
Aegean  Sea.  Priority  for  resettlement  should  be  given  to  those  Syrians  who  remained  in 
Turkey since they are eligible for temporary protection.  

A process to link the numbers readmitted from the Greek islands to Turkey and those leaving 
Turkey  to  be  resettled  in  the  EU  is  required.  A  week-by-week  approach,  in  which  the  EU 
looks  back  at  the  total  number  of  Syrians  effectively  readmitted  by  Turkey  over  the  past  7 
days and immediately launches the procedure for the same number to be resettled to the EU, 
could be envisaged.  

New routes to the EU may develop if the 1:1 scheme is successful. Turkey should commit to 
taking  any  necessary  measures  to  prevent  new  sea  or  land  routes  for  irregular  migration 
opening  up  from  Turkey  towards  the  EU.  If  such  a  new  route  nevertheless  emerges, 
commitments  and  principles  on  returns  and  on  resettlements  should  apply  between  the 
relevant Member State and Turkey.  

2.3  To accelerate the implementation of the visa liberalisation roadmap with a view to 

lifting the visa requires for Turkish citizens by the end of June 2016 

The  conditions  to  lift  visa  requirements  are  set  out  in  a  2013  roadmap,  detailing  72 
requirements to be met by Turkey in the areas of document security, migration management, 
public order and security, fundamental rights, and the readmission of irregular migrants. The 
Commission has been charting Turkey's progress on these points and the most recent report 
was able to mark intensified efforts and a new level of commitment and engagement9. 35 of 
the 72 requirements have now been fulfilled.  

To accelerate implementation of the roadmap with a target of lifting the visa requirements by 
the  end  of  June  will  require  even  further  efforts  from  Turkish  authorities  in  adoption  and 
implementation of the legal and administrative measures needed to fulfil all the requirements 
of the Visa Liberalisation Roadmap. The package of 9 legislative proposals under discussion 

9   Second report on progress by Turkey in fulfilling the requirements of its visa liberalisation roadmap (COM 

(2016) 140, 4 March 2016). 

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will have to be adopted by Turkey in good time on the basis of an understanding reached with 
the EU. The applicable benchmarks will not be amended.  

On  the  understanding  that  Turkey  takes  the  necessary  measures  to  fulfil  the  remaining 
requirements,  the  Commission  will  make  a  legislative  proposal  to  lift  the  visa  requirements 
for Turkish citizens at the end of April 2016. 

2.4 

To speed up the disbursement of the Facility for Refugees in Turkey 

The  Facility  for  Refugees  in  Turkey  covers  both  immediate  humanitarian  needs,  and  more 
ongoing development needs. On the humanitarian side, a €40 million contract was signed with 
the World Food Programme on 4 March, to cover food assistance via an e-card scheme which 
will  help  to  reach  735,000  Syrian  refugees.  Fifteen  other  projects  are being  negotiated  with 
partners,  for  a  total  of  €50  million.  With  these  projects,  a  total  of  €90  million  will  be 
contracted  by  mid-April  2016.  This  allocation  will  quickly  expand  the  provision  of 
humanitarian  assistance  in  Turkey,  including  food,  non-food  items,  health,  water  and 
sanitation and protection.  

A decision was also taken to allocate €55 million from the Facility to the EU Regional Trust 
Fund  in  response  to  the  Syria  crisis  to  urgently  support  development-orientated  project  in 
particular in the field of education, in line with the conclusions of the first Facility Steering 
Committee of 17 February.  This translated into signature on 4 March of a regional contract 
with  UNICEF,  of  which  €38  million  will  allow  an  additional  110,000  Syrian  children  in 
Turkey to go to school during the current academic year.  

At  the  same  time,  projects  are  now  under  way  through  the  EU  Regional  Trust  Fund  in 
response to the Syria crisis totalling almost €140 million. Relevant actions worth € 76 million 
have  already  been  selected  and  identified,  and  could  be  signed  by  the  end  of  April  2016, 
following  endorsement  by  the  next  board  meeting  of  the  Trust  Fund  of  22  March.  Further 
actions  worth  €64  million  are  currently  being  elaborating  for  possible  contracting  by  July 
2016. Further transfers from the Facility to the Trust Fund will be made in light of needs to 
cover  the  project  pipeline.  In  addition,  projects  for  refugees  in  areas  including  education, 
human  resources  and  environmental  infrastructure  are  also  being  developed  by  the 
Commission under the Trust Fund, using the €164.5 million transferred from the Instrument 
for Pre-Accession (IPA) programme at the end of 2015. 

The next step towards bringing further projects on stream will build on the finalisation of the 
comprehensive needs analysis, currently conducted by the Commission in close cooperation 
with Turkey. The Turkish government finally submitted its contribution on 4 March. On this 
basis,  the  needs  assessment  should  be  finalised  by  mid-April.  In  parallel,  technical 
consultations with the Turkish authorities are currently taking place in Ankara to allow for the 
early identification and programming, by the Commission, of urgent and mature projects in all 
fields covered by the Facility. Without the pro-active engagement of the Turkish authorities, 
no  progress  will  be  possible.  Contacts  are  also  on-going  with  International  Financial 
Institutions  (IFIs)  and  other  agencies  as  potential  implementing  partners.  The  Commission 
will  draw  on  the  expertise  of  its  established  partners  from  the  UN,  IFIs,  International 
Organisations,  Member  States  and  NGO  community  for  actions  relating  to  their  specific 
expertise. This should allow for the holding of the second Steering Committee of the Facility 
in April.  

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On  the  resource  side,  the  Commission  received  the  respective  contribution  certificates  from 
Germany  and  Finland.  All  Member  States  are  encouraged  to  swiftly  make  available  their 
national contributions so as to allow for a swift, stepwise roll-out of the Facility to address the 
needs of the refugee population in Turkey, in support of Turkey's own efforts. 

2.5  To prepare for the decisions on the opening of the new chapters in the accession 
negotiations as soon as possible, building on the October 2015 European Council 
conclusions  

The  state  of  play  in  the  European  Union's  accession  negotiations  was  set  out  in  the 
enlargement package of November 2015.  

Since  then,  Chapter  17  (Economic  and  Monetary  Union)  was  opened  at  an  Inter-
Governmental  conference  on  14  December  2015.  In  this  context,  important  reforms  will  be 
discussed. The chapter covers, for instance, rules requiring the independence of central banks, 
prohibits  the  direct  financing  of  the  public  sector  by  central  banks  and  prohibits  privileged 
access of the public sector to financial institutions.  

In addition, preparations are now under way to progress towards the opening of five chapters: 
Chapter  15  (energy),  Chapter  23  (judiciary  and  fundamental  rights),  Chapter  24  (justice, 
freedom and security), Chapter 26 (education and culture) and Chapter 31 (foreign, security 
and defence policy).  

This  is  in  line  with  the  European  Council  conclusions  of  October  2015,  which  called  for 
negotiations  "to  be  re-energized  with  a  view  to  achieving  progress  in  the  negotiations  in 
accordance with the negotiating framework and the relevant Council conclusions".  

The Commission aims to finalise all related preparatory documents in the spring with a view 
to  submitting  them  to  Council,  without  prejudice  to  Member  States  positions  and  the 
negotiating framework.  

Work is well advanced in the area of energy (Chapter 15) and fruitful technical consultations 
were  held  in  Ankara  on  1-3  March.  An  updated  screening  report  will  be  delivered  by  the 
Commission  in  April.  In  coherence  with  the  approach  for  other  candidate  countries,  it  is 
anticipated that this will recommend setting opening benchmark(s). 

In  the  key  areas  of  the  judiciary  and  fundamental  rights,  and  justice,  freedom  and  security 
(Chapters 23 and 24), technical consultations are now being organised following the receipt of 
written  submissions  from  Turkey.  These  chapters  cover  a  range  of  critical  issues  including 
fundamental rights such as freedom of speech, judiciary, anti-corruption policy, migration and 
asylum,  visa  rules,  border  management,  police  cooperation,  and  the  fight  against  organised 
crime and against terrorism. The EU expects Turkey to respect the highest standards when it 
comes  to  democracy,  rule  of  law,  respect  of  fundamental  freedoms,  including  freedom  of 
expression. In terms of opening benchmarks in these essential areas, candidate countries are 
generally asked to prepare comprehensive Action Plans with precise timelines for alignment 
of  laws  and  for  providing  the  necessary  budget.  The  updated  screening  reports  for  these 
chapters could be issued by the Commission in May.  

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On education and culture (Chapter 26), Turkey is finalising its updated negotiating position. 
The Commission will be able to update the Draft Common Position and table it to the Council 
in April.  

The chapter on foreign, security and defence policy (Chapter 31) has already been examined 
in  detail  and  the  European  External  Action  Service  is  finalising  an  update  screening  report 
which will be ready in April.  

2.6 

Cooperation to improve humanitarian conditions inside Syria 

Turkey is part of the International Coalition against Daesh and a member of the International 
Syria Support Group (ISSG). In this capacity, it plays a key role in the joint efforts to solve 
the Syrian crisis. In this context, the EU and Turkey should also enhance their cooperation for 
delivering humanitarian aid to Syrian population. The situation of the refugees stranded at the 
Turkish border, notably in the corridor between Aleppo and the Turkey-Syria border deserves 
special attention. 

As already stated by the European Council, the EU is ready to work with Turkey to improve 
humanitarian conditions inside Syria which would allow refugees to live in areas which will 
be more safe. To be successful, it is fundamental that the commitments made by the ISSG in 
Munich on 11-12 February are swiftly implemented in full by all parties. 

The  Commission  is  already  providing  and  will  continue  to  provide,  substantial  aid  inside 
Syria. Since the beginning of the crisis, the Commission's humanitarian aid for Syria amounts 
to €468 million. For 2015, this figure stands at €160 million. 

Today,  50  projects  are  currently  in  place,  totalling  over  €200  million.  This  includes 
humanitarian,  development  and  stabilisation  assistance.  A  substantial  share  of  humanitarian 
assistance  projects  operate  cross-border  from  Turkey  -  for  2015,  this  amounted  to  €43.2 
million,  27%  of  the  total  budget  devoted  to  of  Syria.  These  projects  rely  heavily  on  local 
cooperation with the Turkish authorities. 

Cross-border actions from Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq will continue to be a major part 
of actions of humanitarian assistance in 2016. €15 million will be contracted in March 2016, 
with  some  €70  million  further  funding  planned  to  be  contracted  by  early  May,  following  a 
recent call to humanitarian partners.  

3. 

Conclusion 

The arrangements for the return of all new irregular migrants and asylum seekers crossing the 
Aegean Sea from Turkey to Greece operating together with the 1:1 resettlement scheme will 
be a temporary and extraordinary measure, and should begin as soon as possible. The aim is 
to replace the current mass irregular flows of migrants by a controlled and legal process. The 
objective is also to break the pattern of refugees and migrants  paying smugglers and risking 
their lives.  

This Communication sets out a framework that will ensure that the process is carried out in 
accordance  with  international  and  European  law,  which  excludes  the  application  of  a 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
"blanket"  return  policy.  It  also  indicates  the  steps,  legislative  and  logistical,  that  need  to  be 
taken as a matter of urgency for the process to be launched.  

This new phase in EU-Turkey cooperation to tackle the migration crisis will require concerted 
efforts  from  Greece  and  Turkey,  supported  by  the  Commission,  EU  agencies  and  partner 
organisations. It will also require the support of Member States, both in terms of the provision 
of personnel and the willingness to make pledges for resettlement.  

Accordingly, whilst some important steps are still needed, the means both legal and practical 
exist to initiate the new arrangements as a matter of urgency.  

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