EU-TURKEY STATEMENTFour years on

March 2020

Agreed on 18 March 2016, the EU-Turkey Statement sought to put an end to irregular migration from Turkey to the EU, improve living conditions for Syrian refugees in Turkey and open up organised, safe and legal channels to Europe for them. Four years later, irregular arrivals remain 94% lower than the period before the Statement became operational and the number of lives lost at sea has also decreased substantially. The EU remains committed to the implementation of the Statement and continues to support Syrian refugees in Turkey through the €6 billion Facility for Refugees in Turkey.

Since the EU-Turkey Statement has been in place, arrivals have decreased significantly. From 10,000 people crossing in a single day in October 2015, daily crossings have decreased to an average of 105 people per day. The number of deaths in the Aegean have also decreased from 1,175 in the 20 months before the statement to 439 since the statement has been in place.

The EU-Turkey statement in action

Arrivals on the islands in 2015

Arrivals on the islands since the EU-Turkey Statement

October Daily average 6,360 arrivals

Drop of 94%

Since 21 March 2016:Daily average 105 arrivals

DecemberDaily average3,222 arrivals

ARRIVALS - sea border

2016 20172015 2016

419,

268

144,

917

6,88

0

8,30

7

8,19

3

8,94

2

6,62

0

4,02

2

5,27

4

5,22

0

5,30

7

10,4

30

9,69

9

9,71

3

7,67

1

6,84

023,3

95

23,8

65

2017 2018 2018 2019 2019 2020

Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q1 Q1 Q1*Q2 Q2 Q2Q3 Q3 Q3Q4 Q4 Q4

21 March 2016: Start of implementationof the EU-Turkey Statement

*until 8 March

Resettlements under the EU-Turkey Statement continue. So far, almost 27,000 Syrian refugees have been resettled from Turkey to EU Member States.

Resettlement: EU solidarity with Syrian refugees

The EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey funds projects that address the needs of refugees and host communities with a focus on humanitarian assistance, education, health, municipal infrastructure and socio-economic support.The EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey is the answer to the EU Member States’ call for significant additional funding to support refugees in the country and manages a total of €6 billion, to be mobilised in two tranches.The first tranche serves to fund projects that run until mid-2021 latest. The second tranche serves to fund projects which run until mid-2025 latest. Both tranches combined, all operational funds have been committed - of the €6 billion, €4.7 billion is already contracted and €3.2 billion disbursed.

EU support to Syrian refugees in Turkey79

8 1,00

5

869

1,63

9

2,58

4

1,27

3 1,63

7 1,96

8

1,54

3

672

2,35

1

986

2,52

3

2,05

1

3,12

5

1,62

8

2016 2017 2017 2018 2018 2019 2019 2020

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q1 Q1 Q1*Q2 Q2 Q2Q3 Q3 Q3Q4 Q4 Q4

RESETTLEMENTS

35,000 children benefitting from catch-up classes and 108,000 children receiving back-up support

685,000 refugee children supported to attend school

180 new schools are currently being constructed

Over 9 million primary healthcare consultations delivered and almost 650,000 refugee infants vaccinated

Almost 1,700,000 refugees receiving support for basic daily needs

€6 billion

*until 8 March

The pace of returns to Turkey from the Greek islands under the Statement remains slow, especially concerning Syrians, with only 2,735 migrants returned since March 2016. Further actions are still required to address the return processes and cooperation and therefore, increase returns.

Returns to Turkey

In addition, 4,030 migrants have returned voluntarily from the islands since June 2016, supported by the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration Programme (AVRR). From the beginning of 2016 to the end of January 2020, a total of 18,711 migrants have returned voluntarily from both the Greek islands and mainland to the country of origin through the programme.