Summary of the situation
In 2015, Europe is experiencing an unprecedented population movement, requiring a response on a scale unseen since World War II. Most vulnerable migrants travel via Turkey to Greece, and continue their journey on the Western Balkans migratory route (through the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia and Hungary) towards northern Europe (Austria, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland as the main countries of destination). This humanitarian crisis affects nearly all of Europe with around 30 National Societies providing immediate and longer-term relief to the migrants.
Since the beginning of 2015, more than 640,000 migrants have moved or are moving through Europe. More than 3,000 people have died or gone missing at sea. The most common countries of origin are Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea and Iraq. Vulnerable people on the move are in need of shelter, food and water, as well as first aid and medical care. The onset of winter is a great humanitarian concern.
Currently, the IFRC is scaling up its response to meet migrants’ needs both through individual, country-based Emergency Appeals and DREF operations and a regional coordination-type Emergency Appeal under preparation.
Emergency Appeal operations are in progress in Italy, Greece, the FYR of Macedonia, Serbia and Hungary. The evolving situation is continuously monitored and the needs of the migrants are (re)assessed regularly so as to best position the support provided to those in need. As a result of this, the Emergency Appeal in Greece has been revised, the ones in Serbia and Italy are being revised, and an operations update is in the pipeline for the FYR of Macedonia.
At the beginning of October 2015, DREF operations were launched in Croatia and Slovenia to assist the National Societies` response.
The Regional Coordination, Response and Preparedness appeal is being launched this week so as to supplement the country level appeals and enable a flexible response framework in the current situation.
Highlights
Despite deteriorating weather conditions, sea arrivals in Greece and onward movement through the Western Balkan have been continuing.
Transfers and registration processes in several locations were hampered by a higher number of arrivals transits as well as bad weather, leading to tensions in several places, particularly in Greece, Croatia and Serbia.
Preparations for the winter are ongoing in reception facilities and transit sites.
The Hungarian authorities completed the construction of a fence at the border with Croatia, which has resulted in the increase of the number of arrivals in Croatia and Slovenia.
A possible erection of a fence on the border between Croatia and Serbia can create potential new migratory routes towards Hungary via Romania and may result in new demands vis-à-vis the Red Cross Red Crescent.
Some areas (the border between Greece and Turkey, and Greece and Bulgaria) may turn into alternative routes for migrants, especially during the winter, when crossing the sea would be more challenging.
On 23 September 2015, the Commission of the European Union launched an action called “Managing the refugee crisis: Immediate operational, budgetary and legal measures under the European Agenda on Migration”, which sets the priority of actions to be taken within the next six months by the EU member states.
The action may have effects on the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement`s activities related to the current migration crisis, thus it needs to be analysed further.On 15 October 2015, EU Heads of States and Governments met as part of the European Council to discuss the migration situation, including cooperation with third countries, management of external borders and returns. The discussions resulted in issuing “Conclusions”, which are oriented towards intensified common border control, the prevention of movements and return.
In the context of the migration response plan, a number of new positions have been opened and partially filled with the valuable support from PNSs, which include: Disaster and Crisis Response Delegate, Emergency Communications Delegate and Water and Sanitation Delegate, deployed to the IFRC Regional Office for Europe. A significant number of additional positions are in the pipeline due to the further operational scale-up. A Relief Delegate has been selected to support the operations in Greece, his contract is underway.