ΑΛΛΗΛΕΓΓΥΗ ΣΤΗΝ ΕΕ: ΕΞΕΛΙΞΕΙΣ ΣΤΟ ΠΕΔΙΟ ΤΗΣ ΠΡΟΣΦΥΓΙΚΗΣ ΠΡΟΣΤΑΣΙΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΠΡΟΚΛΗΣΕΙΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΕΕ ΚΑΙ ΣΤΗΝ ΕΛΛΑΔΑ

Maria Dimitrakopoulou 155 23 April 2015 6 . The EP subsequently adopted a resolution in response to the con- clusions of this special meeting. 7 The above fed into the European Commission’s European Agenda on Migration of 13 May 2015 8 , which set out a comprehensive approach with five priority actions to manage migratory flows. These priorities were backed up by a number of initiatives – for example to combat migrant smug- gling and enhance border management – and further actions to overhaul the asy- lum system, improve reception conditions and bolster resettlement in the pipe- line. The Agenda specifically emphasises the need to return those with no right to remain and to relocate some of those in clear need of international protec- tion out of frontline Member States as part of a responsibility-sharing mechanism. In September 2015, the Council adopted two decisions concerning the relocation of 160,000 people in clear need of protection from Greece and Italy to other EU Member States. The clear need, to cooperate with third countries so as to bring order to migratory flows, repeatedly stressed by the European Council, led to the EU-Turkey statement of 18 March 2016. 9 In the first three months of 2016 , the number of arrivals reached the EU by sea soared to 170,537, a more than sevenfold increase in comparison with the first three months of 2015 . 10 As far as Greece is concerned, 173,450 sea arrivals reg- istered in 2016 11 , out of which 42.1% were men, 21.1% women, 36.8% children. The majority of arrivals by sea in Greece in 2016 were nationals of Syria (47%), Afghanistan (24%) and Iraq (15%) 12 . From 1 January until 31 December, 29,716 peo- 6. Statement from the Special meeting of the European Council, 23 April 2015. 7. European Parliament resolution on the Extraordinary European Council meeting (23 April 2015) – The latest tragedies in the Mediterranean and EU migration and asylum policies, available at http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-/ /EP// TEXT+TA+P8-TA-20150176+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN. 8. COM (2015) 240 final of 13.5.2015 “A European Agenda on Migration”. 9. European Parliament, Directorate – General for Internal Policies, Policy Department C: Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs, Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, On the frontline: the hotspot approach to managing migration, Study, 2016, http:// www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2016/556942/IPOL_STU( 2016)556942_ EN.pdf . 10. Mixed Migration flows in the Mediterranean, Compilation of available data and information, November 2017, http://migration.iom.int/europe. 11. UNHCR, Operations portal: Mediterranean situation, available at: http://data2.unhcr . org/en/situations/mediterranean/location/5179. 12. Asylum Service, Statistical data, available at: http://asylo.gov.gr/wp-content/ uploads/2017/02/Greek-Asylum-Service-statistical-data_December2016_gr.pdf .