EU Recommends Voluntary Admission Scheme for Syrian Refugees from Turkey

(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) TheEuropean Commissionon Tuesday recommended the introduction of avoluntaryhumanitarianadmissionscheme to EU member states to address the problem of Syrianrefugeescrossing fromTurkeyinto the bloc.

The scheme aims to create a system of solidarity and responsibility sharing withTurkeyfor the protection of persons displaced by the conflict inSyriatoTurkey the EU executive body said in a statement.

“The scheme should be flexible to take into account the sustainable reduction of numbers of persons irregularly crossing the border fromTurkeyinto the European Union as a result ofTurkey's actions. Member States are invited to participate in the scheme on avoluntarybasis taking into account their capacities” the Commission said.

The scheme will only apply to persons who have been registered by Turkish authorities before the EU-Turkey summit on 29 November which activated the Joint Action Plan approved the previous month.

On 15 October the Commission presented to the European Council aJoint Action Plan negotiated withTurkeyto jointly manage the Syrian refugee crisis. The Council endorsed the plan under which the EU has committed to providingTurkeywith significant financial support accelerating the fulfilment of the visa liberalisation roadmap and re-energising the accession process with Turkey.Turkeyand the European Union on Monday officially opened anew chapterin the country’s accession talks as part of the deal aimed at helping Europe cope with the migrant crisis.

“If the irregular flows into Europe throughTurkeyare successfully reduced Member States are invited to admit fromTurkeypersons in need of international protection who have been displaced by the conflict in Syria. Schengen associated states are also invited to participate” according to the statement.

Distribution of Syrianrefugeesamong participating states should be based on absorption reception and integration capacities as well as population size GDP past asylum efforts and national unemployment rates. The persons benefiting from this scheme should be granted subsidiary protection or an equivalent temporary status for no less than one year.

Turkeyis currently hosting more than two million persons displaced by the conflict in Syria. Over 750000 asylum seekers and economic migrants have crossed into the EU fromTurkeythis year.