Hotspots at EU external borders: State of play

The 'hotspot approach' was presented by the European Commission as part of the European Agenda on Migration of April 2015, when record numbers of refugees, asylum-seekers and other migrants flocked to the EU. The 'hotspots' – first reception facilities – aim to better coordinate EU agencies' and national authorities' efforts at the external borders of the EU, on initial reception, identification, registration and fingerprinting of asylum-seekers and migrants.

Currently, only Greece and Italy hosted hotspots. Other EU countries could also benefit from the hotspot approach upon request, or in cases where the Commission believed that additional assistance was necessary. As migration continued to be one of the EU's main challenges, the hotspots were a key element of EU support for Greece and Italy to help them face the challenges of the humanitarian and border management crisis.

However, reception conditions remained a concern. The majority of the hotspots suffered from overcrowding, and concerns had been raised by stakeholders with regards to camp facilities and living conditions, in particular for vulnerable migrants and asylum-seekers.

The European Parliament had repeatedly called for action to ensure that the hotspot approach did not endanger the fundamental rights of asylum-seekers and migrants.

The EU-Turkey Statement from March 2016, which was closely linked with the implementation of the hotspot approach in Greece, aimed to reduce the irregular migration flows from Turkey to the EU. In parallel, the Commission proposed a temporary emergency relocation mechanism that began in October 2015, to assist the states facing increasing pressure from migrants’ arrivals.

This is an updated version of a Briefing drafted by Anita Orav, published in March 2016
Written by Anita Orav.

• Primary Source

ESO: Information Guide: European Migration Challenges http://www.europeansources.info/record/information-guide-european-migration-challenges/

Amnesty International, 2016: Hotspot Italy. How EU’s flagship approach leads to violations of refugee and migrant rights http://www.europeansources.info/record/hotspot-italy-how-eus-flagship-approach-leads-to-violations-of-refugee-and-migrant-rights/

EU Law Analysis, 29.09.15: ‘Hotspots’ for asylum applications: some things we urgently need to know http://www.europeansources.info/record/hotspots-for-asylum-applications-some-things-we-urgently-need-to-know/

European Commission: Migration and Home Affairs: What we do: Networks: Hotspot Approach https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/content/hotspot-approach_en

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