EU tells Italy to up relocation efforts (2)

(ANSA) - Brussels, June 13 - The European Commission on Tuesday said that "more efforts are needed to ensure the relocation of all eligible applicants present in Italy" in its 13th report on relocation and resettlement. It said it is "crucial that Italy accelerates its efforts to centralise the relocation procedure (particularly the last stages) in a few designated centres, and also to transfer all relocation applicants 10 days before the departure to reception centres in or close to Rome".
    The progress report was among four released by the Commission on measures taken under the European Agenda on Migration to stabilise the flows and better manage the external borders.
    It looked at how member States are implementing European Council decisions to relocate a total of 160,000 people from Italy and Greece, which are taking the brunt of the Mediterranean asylum seeker crisis. In the report, the EC announced it was launching infringement procedures against the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland for failing to meet their obligations in relation to this agreement.
    But the Commission also said progress was being made.
    "The first five months of 2017 have witnessed a significant increase in the pace of relocation. Since January almost 10,300 people had been relocated," the report said. "This is more than a fivefold increase compared to the same period of 2016 by when only 1,600 persons had been relocated.
    This is the result of procedures becoming fully operational during the second half of 2016, the majority of Member States currently pledging on a regular basis and the continued efforts from the two beneficiary Member States to improve mutual cooperation and trust".