[imc-presse] WG: PRESS INFORMATION: Greek Hotspots - ECCHR urges European Ombudsman to investigate conduct of European Asylum Support Office

[Anabel Bermejo Bragado]

ECCHR - European Center for constitutional and human rights

 

PRESS INFORMATION

 

Greek Hotspots: ECCHR urges European Ombudsman to investigate conduct of
European Asylum Support Office (EASO) 

 

Berlin, 02 May 2017 – The work of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO)
on the Greek Islands not only lacks a legal basis, it also fails to respect
core standards of fairness. This is the conclusion of the European Center
for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR
<https://www.ecchr.eu/en/home.html> ) after analyzing a series of
admissibility interviews conducted by EASO officers at the “Hotspots” in
Greece. ECCHR – with support from Brot für die
<https://www.brot-fuer-die-welt.de/en/bread-for-the-world/>  Welt – has
therefore submitted a complaint
<https://www.ecchr.eu/en/international-crimes-and-accountability/migration/g
reek-hotspots/articles/international-crimes-and-accountability-migration-gre
ek-hotspots.html>  against EASO to the European Ombudsman. The Ombudsman was
established as an independent and impartial institution to hold the EU
administration accountable for failures to respect fundamental rights or
legal principles. 

 

The complaint addresses EASO’s role in the implementation of the EU-Turkey
Statement of March 2016, which aims to return all refugees and migrants who
arrive on the Greek islands to Turkey. Admissibility interviews form the
cornerstone of the administrative procedures: If an asylum claim is rejected
as inadmissible, Turkey must, under this arrangement, readmit the person
concerned. EASO is the agency that conducts the interviews and recommends a
decision to the Greek Asylum Service. Thereby, the agency plays a decisive
role in the assessment of the (in)admissibility of applications for
international protection. 

 

ECCHR’s complaint challenges EASO’s involvement in terms of both competence
and content. First, EASO lacks a legal basis for its actions; its
involvement in the procedure goes beyond the scope of its powers under EU
law. Secondly, EASO’s approach to the interviews fails to respect core
standards of fairness, which are stipulated in the agency’s very own
guidelines. The interviews consistently fail to consider the individual
experiences and vulnerabilities of the applicants, depriving them of their
right to a fair hearing and barring access to international protection

 

Please find attached the Case Report “EASO’s influence on inadmissibility
decisions exceeds the agency’s competence and disregards fundamental rights”

 

Please excuse double Posting.

 

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Anabel Bermejo 

Media & Communications

 

European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights e.V. (ECCHR)

Zossener Str. 55-58, Aufgang D

D-10961 BERLIN

 

Phone: + 49 (0)30 - 69819797

Mobil: + 49 (0) 172 - 587 00 87

Fax: + 49 (0)30 - 40 04 85 92

E-Mail:  <mailto:bermejo at ecchr.eu> bermejo at ECCHR.eu

Skype: anabel.bermejo1

Twitter: @ECCHRBerlin
<https://twitter.com/ECCHRBerlin?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctw
gr%5Eauthor> 

 

Website - Facebook
<http://de-de.facebook.com/pages/Ecchr-European-Center-for-Constitutional-an
d-Human-Rights/219348771491535>  - Newsletter (Deutsch
<http://www.ecchr.de/index.php/newsletter.html>  / English
<http://www.ecchr.de/index.php/newsletter_en.html> )

 

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