Greece
Europe
Mayors of Greek Islands Call for Changes to EU Migration Pact
The mayors of the three Greek islands which have borne the worst of the migration crisis asked for an amendment to the new EU migration pact.
Diplomacy
Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria in Joint Initiative to Tackle Migration Crisis
Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria have decided to undertake a joint initiative for tackling migration in the Eastern Mediterranean, which they will present at the European Union's Justice and Home Affairs Council on October 7-8 in Luxembourg.
The news comes as...
Greece
German FM Maas Expresses ''Great Respect'' For Greece's Handling of Migration
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas expressed his "great respect" for Greece on Monday, for the heavy burden placed for years upon her during the refugee crisis.
Maas' remarks were made during a joint press conference he held along with his...
Greece
Germany Expresses ''Complete Confidence'' in Greece's Handling of Migration
German government spokesperson Steffen Seibert confirmed on Wednesday the German government's "complete confidence" in the actions taken by the Greek government on the issue of migration.
"We have complete confidence that Greece will take the right steps," Seibert said, noting...
Greece
Greece's Tsipras Meets with Commissioner for Migration Avramopoulos Ahead of EU Summit
Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras met on Wednesday with the European Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos ahead of the informal EU Summit that will be held in Austria's Salzburg.
In this context, the two men discussed issues related with the...
Greece
Greece Gets €20M to Deal with Migration Problems on Greek Islands
The European Commission on Monday gave over €45 million ($52 million) to Greece and Spain to deal with migration issues.
Monday's sums come shortly after Greece also struck a bilateral deal with Germany last week on taking back some migrants.
That bilateral...
Diplomacy
Avramopoulos: EU-Turkey Deal Reduced Migrant Arrivals in Greece by 97%
The European Commission claims that the bloc's migrant agreement with Turkey is working well, but that more effort is needed to speed asylum applications.
EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said Wednesday that "the EU-Turkey statement continues to work and deliver...
Greece
Closed Reception Centers will Reinforce Asylum Procedures, Says Migration Policy Min Mouzalas
"The establishment of a closed reception center for migrants is a condition for asylum to operate. We must reconsider the issue," Migration Policy Minister Yannis Mouzalas stated on Friday, noting the need to create a closed reception center for...
Greece
Ten Syrians Returned to Turkey From Greece Under EU-Turkey Deal
Ten Syrians were returned to Adana, Turkey on a flight from Greece on Wednesday, in accordance with the EU-Turkey Statement on migration. The group included five men, one woman and four children.
One individual in the group had been denied...
Greece
EU-Turkey Agreement on Migration Must Remain in Force, Avramopoulos Says
The current tense climate must not be allowed to affect the EU-Turkey Statement on migration, which must remain in force, European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos said on Thursday.
The Commissioner made the statement while visiting...
Greece
Greece Denies Asking for Plan B in EU-Turkey Refugee Deal
It is unsure if there was a miscommunication or a message lost in translation, however the bottom line is that Greece's Migration Minister Yannis Mouzalas has denied ever saying that Greece asked for a Plan B in the EU-Turkey...
Greece
Europe Needs a 'Plan B' for Migration Problem, Greece's Mouzalas Says to Bild
Europe definitely needs a "Plan B" for the refugee and migration issue, Greece's Alternate Minister for Migration Policy Yiannis Mouzalas said in an interview with the German newspaper "Bild" published on Wednesday. The minister expressed the Greek government's "deep...
Greece
UN Rights Chief Expresses Serious Concerns Over EU-Turkey Agreement
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on Thursday expressed serious concerns about the recent agreement between the European Union and Turkey, pointing to what he termed “a contradiction at the heart of the agreement,”...
Greece
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Nuland Expresses U.S. Solidarity in Migration Crisis
In statements to the press on Friday, the second day of her visit to Greece, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Victoria Nuland repeatedly stressed that her visit sought to demonstrate US solidarity in the face of...
Greece
EU Migration Commissioner Warns Greece to Improve Border Controls
European Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos on Wednesday warned that Greece needs to improve border controls.
Avramopoulos spoke to Kathimerini daily and said that Greece needs to take immediate and effective action and show results by December...