Since 2013, Fedasil has provided staff to EASO, the European Asylum Support Office, for missions lasting approximately 8 weeks.

Last year, 23 staff members took part in a mission for EASO, which is twice as many as in 2016. Most of the missions involved the hotspots in Greece and Italy, but also in Cyprus and Bulgaria:

• In Italy and Greece, our experts mainly provided information services to migrants (about asylum and relocation procedures, the role of EASO, family reunification, the Dublin regulation, etc.).
• In Cyprus, our colleagues were deployed at the Kofinou reception centre and provided daily operational support. They also shared their good practices with the Cypriot staff.
• Among others, the mission in Bulgaria involved an analysis of the needs required to identify the migrants' vulnerabilities.

Solidarity
By providing staff members, Fedasil is showing its solidarity with EU countries that are subject to a strong migratory pressure. In 2018, the Agency will continue to send its experts.

Fedasil's experts are regularly hailed for their professionalism, motivation and skills. Also, our colleagues return from their mission having benefited from a rich new professional and human experience.