EASO support to Spain now fully operational

Personnel deployed by the European Asylum Support Office [EASO] have begun work in Spain, providing “enhanced capacity to the reception services in the Canary Islands”.

Islas Canarias or the Canary Islands of Spain comprise an archipelago – an area containing a chain or group of islands scattered across an ocean, lake or river – in the Atlantic Ocean. The nearest island lies around 108 kilometers off the northwest of the African mainland. Geographically speaking, the Canaries fall into 2 district groups. The western group, consisting of mountain peaks rising directly from a deep ocean floor, is made up of Ferro, La Gomera, La Palma, Gran Canaria, and Tenerife islands. The western group contains 6 islets surmounting the Canary Ridge as well as the Fuerteventura and Lanzarote Islands.

With the activation of the EASO support measure, Spain becomes EASO’s fifth Member State Operation – the others being in Malta, Italy, Greece and Cyprus.

EASO has deployed a team of reception experts to the Canary Islands for beginning work towards supporting the Spanish authorities to manage the reception centres in view of the increased arrival of migrants.

EASO’s Operating Plan in Spain

·         Providing enhanced capacity to reception services in the Canary Islands ·         Supporting the transition towards a new model for reception ·         Enhancing the structural processes in support of the Spanish reception system ·         Strengthening capacity through professional development, tools and materials ·         Supporting the Spanish authorities in the area of resettlement

EASO support to Spain will include training and support for camp management, data management, camp design, information provision workflows etc.

In 2021, EASO’s operational support to reception authorities and national asylum will be covering all 5 Mediterranean EU Member States – Spain, Malta, Greece, Italy, and Cyprus – that receive the greatest number of asylum applications. Approximately 2,000 personnel are to be deployed by EASO to the 5 Member States, including almost 1,000 in Greece. While deployed personnel in Greece are to remain stable as compared to 2020, there will be notable increases in the personnel deployed in Malta [from 65 in 2020, to 149 in 2021] and Cyprus [from 84 in 2020, to 185 in 2021]. Across the next 1 year, EASO will be committing over EUR 70 million to its operations, equivalent to around half of the overall budget of the Agency.

According to EASO, despite 2020 being an unprecedented year due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, EASO had “dramatically upscaled its operational presence and increased support to Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Malta, in some cases by between twice and three times 2019 levels”.

The European Commission proposed the creation of EASO on February 18, 2009. EASO becomes operational as an EU agency on February 1, 2011. EASO was officially inaugurated in Malta on June 19, 2011. Promoting European solidarity, EASO plays a crucial role in the implementation of the Common European Asylum System [CEAS], thereby fostering an enhanced cooperation with and between Member States.

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