PM Tsipras and EU Commissioner Avramopoulos focus on migrant inflows at mtg
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The issue of managing migrant and refugee inflows, particularly with the help of the European Commission, was discussed at a meeting in Athens on Friday between Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos.
The meeting at the government headquarters of Maximos Mansion was also attended by Migration Policy Minister Dimitris Vitsas.
“The EU-Turkey agreement must be retained and enforced so that migrant returns to Turkey are accelerated, while the temporary centres housing them must expand in capacity,” Avramopoulos said in statements following the meeting earlier in the day.He also placed emphasis on the need to “complete improvement and upgrading works in infrastructure and in security measures for unaccompanied minors, especially by increasing their housing facilities.” The use and absorption of European Union funds set aside for Greece for migrants and refugees must be constant, through national programmes, he added. The meeting is one of a regular series of updates held on a regular basis by the EU commissioner with the government.
The EU-Turkey agreement of 2016 aimed at stopping the flow of irregular migration via Turkey to Europe. Under the agreement, Turkey would accept back all irregular migrants and asylum seekers from the Greek islands whose applications had been rejected, in exchange for Europe waiving the visa requirements of Turkish nationals and providing an initial 3 billion euros towards the resettlement of migrants in Turkey. The agreement went into effect on March 20, 2016.
Source: ANA-MPA