Current migratory situation in Greece, 29 November 2010
With the flows of illegal migration to Canary Islands and Lampedusa currently very reduced, all Greek external borders of the EU – including land (with Albania, FYROM and Turkey), air and sea borders - now accounts for 90% of all detections of illegal border crossing along the EU external borders. Based on the latest operational data and extrapolations for some border sections, it is currently estimated that between January and October 2010 around 75,000 detections of illegal border crossing took place across the EU external borders in Greece.
RABIT 2010 Deployment
With the first “real life” deployment of border-control experts, to the Greek-Turkish land border, Member States committed to participating in RABIT deployments have responded positively and have made available both human and technical resources for use in the support of Greece’s border authorities. A total of 175 guest officers will be deployed from 24 Member States and Schengen-Associated Countries.
Quick Guide RABIT
The basic idea of Rapid Border Intervention Teams was to create such a mechanism that could allow, in case of urgent and exceptional migratory pressure, rapid deployment of border guards on a European level. Rapid Border Intervention Teams are intended to provide short-term assistance. The responsibility for the control and surveillance of the external borders remains to lie with the Member States.
Operational activity in Greece
Since its inception in 2006 as a purely sea-based operation patrolling the coastal waters between Greece and Turkey, Joint Operation Poseidon has grown to become the focus of Frontex’s operational deployment in the Mediterranean region.
Regulation (EC) No 863/2007
REGULATION (EC) No 863/2007 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 July 2007 establishing a mechanism for the creation of Rapid Border Intervention Teams and amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2007/2004 as regards that mechanism and regulating the tasks and powers of guest officers
