Personnel deployed by the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) have begun work to provide enhanced capacity to the reception services in the Canary Islands.

This week, EASO has deployed a team of reception experts to the Canary Islands in order to begin work supporting the Spanish authorities to manage the reception centres in light of increased arrivals of migrants, including applicants for international protection, in the past months. This will include training and support for camp management, camp design, standardisation of vulnerability and information provision workflows, and data management.

The activation of this support measure marks EASO becoming fully operational in its fifth Member State Operation, the others being in Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Malta. EASO is now supporting all main countries of first arrival to manage their asylum and/or reception procedures.

The Agency is currently awaiting the approval of a proposal to update its mandate and transform it into the EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA). Amongst other things, the new mandate will have a significant impact on enabling the Agency to provide more flexible, effective and timely operational support to Member States. In doing so, the EUAA will become even more operative in contributing towards national and EU migration management.

In addition to helping enhance reception capacity in the Canary Islands, EASO’s Operating Plan in Spain also:

• Supports in the transition towards a new model for reception in the country;
• Enhances structural processes in support of the Spanish reception system;
• Contribute to strengthening capacity within the Spanish reception system through professional development, tools and materials; and
• Support the Spanish authorities in the area of resettlement.

EASO is grateful to the Spanish authorities for the effective cooperation that has enabled the Agency to deploy in the country very quickly, beginning from the Joint Rapid Needs Assessment (JRNA) carried out by EASO and the Spanish Ministry for Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations, between mid-September and the end of October 2020.

Over the coming months, the Agency will continue to increase the resources dedicated to its Operating Plan with Spain in order to meet the goals agreed to with the national authorities.

Any further information may be obtained from the European Asylum Support Office on the following email address: press@easo.europa.eu