ReliefWeb

Planning and Preparedness: In Turkey, EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations announced the first projects under the Facility for Refugees in Turkey programme; pledging €55 million to address access to education needs of Syrian children, and €40 million in humanitarian aid through the World Food Programme (WFP).

Arrivals and Departures: European Council President and Turkish Prime Minister agreed that people who do not qualify for international protection in Greece will be returned to Turkey. It is expected that an agreement to this effect will be signed later today in Brussels.

Condition of People: At the border crossing between Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, a new ‘screening procedure’ was observed. People are now requested to state their town of origin; the border police then assess whether the town is war-torn which determines eligibility for access.

88,912 asylum applications were recorded in Austria in 2015. This is an increase of 212.5% compared to 2014 (with some 28,000 applications).

Deaths at Sea: According to media, some 25 people died or went missing while some 15 people were rescued by the Turkish Coast Guard off the Turkish coast, in an attempt to reach the Greek Islands.