The new EU Asylum Agency will have enhanced operational and technical powers to facilitate cooperation among member states and contribute to converging asylum standards. The legislation endorsed on Thursday by the European Parliament upgrades the existing mandate of the EU Asylum Support Office (EASO), which has been operational since 2011 and is based in Valletta, Malta. […]
New facts on asylum and migration in the EU
The Covid-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on migration flows in the EU. Movement restrictions put in place in light of the coronavirus pandemic have led to a reduction in migration, both legal and illegal, as countries have closed borders, restricted routes for legal migration and scaled back programmes to take in refugees. However, […]
EASO operations expand to all major EU countries of first arrival
In 2021, EASO’s operational support to national asylum and reception authorities will cover all five Mediterranean EU Member States which receive the most asylum applications, accounting for 50% of the Agency’s budget. The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) has begun operational support to the reception authorities in Spain, as was recently announced following the signature of the […]
Schengen, migration, asylum and security in times of COVID-19
MEPs will quiz Commissioner Johansson on the future of the border-free Schengen zone, common migration and asylum policy and security in the context of the pandemic. In a debate in the Civil Liberties Committee on Thursday afternoon, MEPs will try to clarify how the Commission plans to ensure that temporary controls on the internal borders, reintroduced […]
Measures to prevent Covid19 crisis in refugee camps
The situation of refugees in Greece calls for a concerted EU response to avoid a Covid-19 outbreak, according to MEPs on the civil liberties committee. As Europe grapples with the challenges of the coronavirus crisis, concern is also growing over the living conditions of asylum-seekers in camps on the Greek islands. The situation at the […]
Asylum applications in the EU increase by 13% in 2019
For the first time since 2015, applications increased from the previous year. The increase was not largely driven by irregular migration, but rather by applications from countries with visa-free access to Schengen. More than 714 000 applications were lodged in the EU+ in 2019, up by 13% from 2018, when fewer than 635 000 were registered. This […]
External Vacancy Notice in the European Asylum Support Office (EASO)
The European Asylum Support Office is seeking for a Head of the MedCOI to work in the Asylum Knowledge Centre (C3), Third Country Research Unit. Institution The European Asylum Support Office (hereinafter referred to as “EASO”), established by Regulation 439/20101 , strengthens European Union (EU) Member States’ practical cooperation on asylum, enhances the implementation of the Common European […]
European Migration Forum: Call for expression of interest to participate – local and regional authorities
The CoR is launching a call for expression of interest addressed to officials of local and regional authorities (LRAs) to participate in the 6th meeting of the European Migration Forum. This event is co-organised by the European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee and will take place on 2-3 June 2020 in Brussels at the CoR/EESC premises. 6th Edition […]
EASO operations to double in size this year
In December 2019, the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) signed Operating Plans with the national asylum authorities of Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Malta, following needs-based discussions on the support which the Agency will provide throughout 2020. Aims for 2020 In 2020, EASO will see its operational deployments double in size, with up to 550 personnel deployed […]