Practices of externalization of migration management: the EU-Turkey statement and its implications on the Greek asylum system

After providing a historical overview of the migration dynamics that occurred in Europe from the Second World War until the so-called 2015 refugee crisis and the consequent European Union response, this work focuses on the 2016 EU-Turkey statement, arguing that it is one of the core components of the EU response to the crisis, as well as the major expression of the increasingly consolidated tendency of the European Union to “externalize” migration management. The EU-Turkey statement is analysed from a legal and political point of view, examining its core components (e.g. the concept of “safe third country”, and “readmission”) and investigating its legal legitimacy according to the international law, and whether Turkey can be considered a safe third country. Lastly, it provides an assessment of the direct and less impact of the EU-Turkey statement on the Greek asylum system and on the applicants of international protection’s human rights in Greece. It concludes with an assessment of the Statement from a human rights perspective, and a reflection on possible future scenarios of the EU approach towards migration.