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EUROPEAN BORDE D COAST GUARD AGENCY
RAN Warsaw, 16/06/2020

Reg. No 5504/2020
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Analytical contribution concerning the Rapid Border Intervention

Operations in Greece at the land and sea border with Turkey

1. Introduction

1.1. Background
1.1.1.  Greek-Turkish Land Border

On 28 February 2020, after a military escalation in the Idlib region in Syria, the Turkish authorities discontinued
migration controls in the Aegean region at land and sea borders.
RER EU BAD EEE

Due to the specificity of the border types, the migrants first primarily approached the land borders between Greece
and Turkey. According to various sources, the number of migrants who gathered at the land borders was in a range

between 4.000 and 30.000. EEE EEE
. \ccitional measures were taken 2: No

strengthen the border management. A temporary change in the asylum law, suspending the possibility to apply for
asylum for one month, entered into force.

At the end of February and during March around 10 000 migrants gathered EEE
EEE yins forcibty to enter illegally towards Greece EEE. EEE
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Following the closure of the Pazarkule makeshift camp at the end of March 2020 the remaining migrants were
evacuated and transported to nine different removal centers in Turkey. According to information available EM]

the number of there migrants were approximately 6 000. From the date of the camp

Frontex - European Border and Coast Guard Agency
www.frontex.europa.eu | Pl. Europejski 6, 00-844 Warsaw, Poland | Tel. +48 22 205 95 00 | Fax +48 22 205 95 01

 

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evacuation the migration pressure along the fenced border area in the northern part of the Greek - Turkish border
decreased significantly and remained stable until recent.

1.1.2. Greek-Turkish Sea Border
At the sea borders of Greece, a massive flow could not be triggered at that time. Very bad weather conditions as
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 (on\y 182 misrants arrived on 28 February).

On 29 February, adverse weather conditions persisted, keeping the successful landings on the Greek islands at a low
level (27 arrivals). Then on March 1 and 2, a total of 1 011 and 540 migrants landed, respectively. This peak of
arrivals lasted for a very short period due to worsening weather conditions and because Turkish Coast Guard resumed
patrolling activities. In addition, the temporary suspension of the asylum law in Greece, whereby all new arrivals
were detained for the purposes of return, also played a role in discouraging arrivals to the islands.

1.2. Initiation of the Rapid Border Interventions

Based on the decision of the Frontex Executive Director, the Rapid Border Intervention (RBl) commenced on 11 Mar
and was further extended on request of the Greek authorities two times, as at that date the external borders of
Greece were still subject to a high risk. The Rapid Border Intervention Aegean 2020 was extended until 6 July 2020.

Similarly, the Executive Director Frontex decided to extend the Rapid Border Intervention Evros 2020 until 6 July
2020.

2. Situation update at the Greek - Turkish land border

2.1. |Illegal migrant apprehensions from the beginning of the RBI (11.03 - 12.06)

During the implementation of the RBl
Figure 1: Number of migrant apprehensions from the beginning of the
deployment of RBl teams

and closed borders, from 11 March to
12 June 2020, the Greek authorities

reported 75 illegal border crossings Ju
from Turkey to Greece. The main m GRC-TUR

nationalities apprehended for 15

crossing the border illegally from 11 go;

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10 9
7 7
5 4
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13 20 21 22 23

1 ı2 13 14 15 16 17 18

Mar to 12 June were Syrian (26),
Turkey (14), Bangladeshi (13),
Pakistani (5) and Somalian (4).

Sinee the last update of the

assessment, which has taken place on
; weeks

17 May, in total 37 migrant

apprehension were reported from the Greek Turkish land border section. While during the first 10 weeks of the

impli tati f the RBI JO in total 38
Figure 2: BCUs at the GRC - TUR border affected by illegal border Implementation of the in tote

crossings since the beginning of the deployment of RBl teams migrant apprehensions were reported.

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illegal migrant apprehensions, the
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illegal border crossings, EEEEEEEEEEN 12, te EEE] 10 and the BREMEN reported eight during the period

of implementation until 12 June.

The Police Directorate (PD) EEE reported 32 illegal border crossing and the EEE in total 43 in
their areas of responsibility. Starting from the beginning of May 2020 the EEE] has reported 29 migrant
apprehensions while the EEE has reported lower figures with 16 in total. Since the update of the assessment
on 17 May, in the EEE], where the RBI teams mainly perform their activities, only one illegal migrant was
apprehended for crossing the Greek - Turkish land border while the EEE reported 15 illegal migrant
apprehensions during the same period.

The number of migrant apprehensions during the RBl from 11 Mar 2020 so far has been low but showed an increase in
particular in EEE of the border, in the PD EEE. The massive violent attacks at the end of
February and at the beginning of
ae

The presence
BISSENe® Figure 3: BCUs at the GRC - TUR border affected by illegal border
crossings since the beginning of the deployment of RBl teams

Since the situation at the Greek-Turkish
land border calmed down because of the
precautionary measures of travel

 

restrictions and social distancing in Turkey

large groups of migrants have been spotted in the close vicinity
of the border on Turkish territory.

large groups of migrants, up to 400 people have

gathered over the last 2 weeks, from the beginning of June, EEE
attempting to enter Greece illegally from Turkey. EN EN

Figure 4: Main nationalities of migrants apprehended
from the beginning of the deployment of RBl teams

SYR, 26

ee. 2.

end of February and beginning of March. This contributed TUR. 14

to a drastic decrease of attempts of illegal entries,

 

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Several facilitation cases, which were reported in open sources and occurred outside the operational area of RBI or

FOA 2020 Land, confirm that people smuggling networks remain active and

2.2. Turkish forces present at the Greek - Turkish land border

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2.3. Impact of the COVID 19 crisis

Travel restrictions and lock downs of major cities in Turkey were lifted from the beginning of June 2020. The lifting
of travel restrictions has resulted in high numbers of migrants arriving at the Greek - Turkish land border, mainly

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departing from Istanbul. However,

2.4. Enhanced border security

The deployment of RBl teams to assist and support the Hellenic Police to prevent migrants from crossing the border
illegally from Turkey to Greece and to maintain border security at its border with Turkey has resulted in lower
numbers of illegal border crossings in particular in the EEE] of the Greek - Turkish border.

However,

3. Conclusions concerning the Land Border

His operational success has to be seen also in the light of the

high migration pressure on the Turkish side and the continuous aggression against the physical border barriers at the
end of February and in the beginning of March. The operational success only made possible by deploying additional
forces to the border sections under pressure, including the solidarity of EU MS in the frame of the RBls.

The deployment of RBI teams has proven to be a valuable tool in assisting the Hellenic Police authorities to tackle
the disproportionate challenges related to illegal immigration from Turkey to Greece and to control illegal
immigration flows towards the territory of Greece, to tackle cross-border crime and to enhance European

cooperation.

Even though the numbers of illegal border crossings decreased significantly, the migratory pressure at this border

section remains very high given the

The increasing number of large groups of migrants spotted in the close vicinity of the border over the last weeks,

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People smuggling networks may make increasingly exploit the situation, therefore an increase of their activities to
support migrants willing to cross the border to Greece can be expected.

4. Situation Update at the Turkish - Greek Sea border

In the period between weeks 10 and 24 (i.e. from 2 March until 14 June 2020), Greece reported 1520 migrant
arrivals, but one-third (540) of those landed on one single day, 2 March. This means that in the past 105 days only

980 migrants were registered EEE which equates to as few as 9.3 migrants on a daily

average.
Of those reported in JORA:
e 40% of the migrants landed EN]
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27% of the migrants registered in JORA in weeks 10 to 24 were Syrian nationals, 22% were Afghans and 24% were
from Central Africa. Importantly though, no Syrian migrants were registered between weeks 12 and 21.

The lack of a seasonal flow during this period of the year allows for a slight relaxation in the hotspots. On 31
December 2019 the number of migrants in the five Hotspot islands was 41 803. Then, due to the maintained influx in
January and February, and the landing of 1 550 migrants during the first two days of March, it topped at 42 546 on 2
March.

The number of migrants staying on the five Hotspots lowered to 34 409 in line with the EEE]

Even though the limitations on movements because of the pandemic already started to be lifted in Turkey, and
Greece resumed asylum procedures on 18 May, the daily average of arrivals has remained low for the time being.

EEE |: is assumed that there is a considerable number of migrants waiting to cross the Aegean Sea who
had to wait for some weeks. In view of a possible second wave of the COVID pandemic in autumn, many migrants
may consider crossing the Aegean before curfews and other restrictions are re-imposed in Greece in Turkey.

Therefore, a peak of arrivals is expected in the second half of summer.

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The cooperation with Turkey in terms of an effective readmission mechanism will be crucial, as in May Greece
introduced a new asylum law which allows for an expedited asylum procedure, meaning thousands of migrants

whose claim is rejected will be prepared for readmission to Turkey under the EU-Turkey statement.
4.1. Turkey

During the first two months of this year, the Turkish authorities reported the interception of 13 000 migrants
(around 4 500 in the same period in 2019) in the Aegean Sea, over 9 000 in January and slightly below 4 000 in
February. This means that the ratio of Greek apprehensions and Turkish interceptions in this period was about
30:70. In March, April, May and during the first half of June,

Turkish authorities communicate that the EU-Turkey Statement has remained unaffected by their policy; in line with

that, they continued cooperation with Greece on the readmission of migrants from the Greek Hotspots.

Subsequent readmissions, however, have been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, until further notice.
4.2. Forecast and factors determining the current and future flows

In the upcoming 1-2 months the following factors are expected to determine the current flows. Depending on them,
the situation may remain calm or can get out of control within hours.

1.  Restrictions of movements in Turkey and Greece due to the COVID-19, including a foreseen second wave of
the contagion

2. Expedited decisions of asylum claims in the Hotspots and the level of cooperation by Turkey to readmit
migrants whose asylum claim was rejected

3. The intensity of the patrolling of Turkish authorities

4. The situation at the GRC-TUR land border
The security and economic situation in the main source countries (AFG, IRN, SYR, IRQ, Central Africa)

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5. Recommendations
To mitigate the risk at the Greek-Turkish land and sea border the following measures might be suitable.

5.1. Land border

5.2. Sea border

 

 

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