In a comparative report published today, ECRE analyses the operations of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) involving deployment of experts in the asylum procedures of Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Malta.
The Agency currently has ongoing operations and over 900 staff members present in the four countries. The aims of the operations are agreed in Operating Plans with the respective Member States.
The report gives an overview of the different areas of the asylum procedure in which the Agency supports Member State authorities, namely the registration of asylum applications, the implementation of the Dublin Regulation, the examination of asylum applications at first instance, and appeals. It also provides observations on the effectiveness of EASO operations in meeting their objectives and the impact of the Agency’s presence on the efficiency and quality of asylum procedures in the host Member States, particularly as regards the enhancement of staff capacity, the quality of decisions and the contribution to compliance with the EU asylum acquis.
The report follows a series of fact-finding missions in Cyprus, Italy, Greece and Malta in 2018 and 2019, discussions with authorities and relevant stakeholders, as well as analysis of a small sample of decisions in selected countries.
This article appeared in the ECRE Weekly Bulletin . You can subscribe to the Weekly Bulletin here.