The Greek Minister of Migration Policy, Mr Dimitris Vitsas, has announced the ministry’s main priorities for the next few months. These priorities include transferring about 6,000 people from the islands to the Greek mainland, speeding up asylum procedures, increasing physicians and paramedics in detention centres, and opening accommodation centres for recognised refugees.

The minister added that about 10,000 recognised refugees have been living in accommodation centres for asylum seekers. Thus, the asylum system will receive relief through a new programme to accommodate 5,000 people in apartments for six months and enrol them in integration programmes. Furthermore, the Ministry of Migration Policy will work with the Ministries of Labour and Rural Development to integrate refugees into employment programmes.

Vitsas stressed that the most serious issue for the ministry is the large increase of refugee arrivals through the land border with Turkey in the region of Evros. From the beginning of 2018 through 12 November, 14,250 arrivals were recorded through the land border in Evros. Actual inflows were larger and are estimated at 16,300.

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