Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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382. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the safeguards being taken to ensure that refugees who are returned to Turkey under the European Union-Turkey migration deal have their human rights upheld; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7539/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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Turkey has a key role to play in resolving the Migration crisis, as most of the migrants and refugees who have entered the EU since early 2015 have travelled via Turkey. The EU and Turkey have engaged deeply on developing joint approaches and the EU’s engagement with Turkey was the focus of the most recent European Council on 17 and 18 March 2016The core intention of the EU-Turkey agreement which emerged from the Council is to break the business model of the people smugglers who are profiting from the suffering of the vulnerable. Critically, it should stop people getting into unsafe boats and risking their lives. The agreement complies with international law on the protection of human rights. All migrants will be protected in accordance with the relevant international standards and in respect of the principle of non-refoulement. This includes a guarantee that any migrants / refugees arriving in the Greek islands who wish to claim asylum will have their applications processed individually by the Greek authorities in accordance with the Asylum Procedures Directive, in cooperation with UNHCR.

The need to comply with international law was at the heart of the March European Council discussions. The legal advice of the EU institutions was that there is such compliance.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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383. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the systems and structures put in place with regard to the European Union-Turkey migration deal to ensure that those who are seeking asylum have their applications assessed in a fair and legal manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7540/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The core intention of the EU-Turkey agreement which emerged from the March European Council is to break the business model of the people smugglers who are profiting from the suffering of the vulnerable. Critically, it should stop people getting into unsafe boats and risking their lives. Migrants arriving in the Greek islands will be registered and any application for asylum will be processed individually by the Greek authorities in accordance with the Asylum Procedures Directive, in cooperation with the European Asylum Support Office (EASO). Ireland is playing its part in ensuring that all asylum seekers receive a fair hearing and that their applications are processed in full accordance with international law. We have deployed two experts to the Greek island of Lesbos to support the EASO and we have nominated Liaison Officers to both Italy and Greece to support the work of the ‘hotspots’. In addition, my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality has agreed to send three international protection case work experts to the Greek Islands. Ireland will also be offering the services of two members of the Refugee Appeals’ Tribunal to support the establishment of Appeals Committees.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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384. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide an update on the impact of the European Union-Turkey migration deal on the number of refugees entering the Greek Islands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7541/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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Migration to the European Union via the Western Balkans Route has been slowing for some time. Determining the precise factors leading to this decline is complex. It may be that weather and the progressive closing of border crossings along the migratory route north, are contributory factors. According to the UN High Commission for Refugees, the figure for average daily arrivals of refugees in Greece for March 2016 was 870. That figure had declined to 134 per day by mid-April. The core intention of the EU-Turkey agreement which emerged from the March European Council is to break the business model of the people smugglers who are profiting from the suffering of the vulnerable. Critically, it should stop people getting into unsafe boats and risking their lives.