Public Agenda NewsPaperPublic Agenda NewsPaper
  • General News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Health
  • Development Agenda
  • World News
  • Features & Opinions
  • Election watch
  • Editorial
Font ResizerAa
Public Agenda NewsPaperPublic Agenda NewsPaper
Font ResizerAa
  • General News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Health
  • Development Agenda
  • World News
  • Features & Opinions
  • Election watch
  • Editorial
Search
  • General News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Health
  • Development Agenda
  • World News
  • Features & Opinions
  • Election watch
  • Editorial
Follow US
Breaking NewsWorld News

EU to give migrants in Greece €2,000 to go home

Latifa Carlos
Last updated: March 13, 2020 11:30 pm
Latifa Carlos
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

The EU says it will pay €2,000 (£1,770; $2,225) each to migrants in overcrowded camps on the Greek islands willing to go back to their home countries.

EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson announced the scheme in Athens on Thursday. It was agreed with the Greek government.

She said it was temporary – open for one month only – and only for migrants who arrived before 1 January.

More Read

LEG makes proposals for revision of Compensation and Resettlement Regulations
$100m legal war erupts between E&P and Azumah Resources
Ghana to attract more global oil investors after Akoma and Eban 1X discoveries
Govt cracks down on illegal mining task forces amid extortion claims
Dr. Adrian Alter appointed new IMF resident representative for Ghana

She said 5,000 migrants would be eligible for the “voluntary return”.

This month, hundreds of migrants and refugees have reached Greek islands near Turkey by boat, increasing the pressure on struggling reception centres. The camps on those islands already have nearly 42,000 asylum seekers, though they were designed for about 6,000.

Aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), which is working on the islands, says more than 14,000 of the migrants are children.

“Men, women and children are living in horrific conditions in these overcrowded centres, in constant fear and with very basic access to services like toilets, showers, electricity,” Stephan Oberreit, MSF head of mission in Greece, told the BBC.

“Our teams in the clinic opposite Moria camp receive around 70 children per day, including children suffering from chronic illnesses, for which we are not able to provide proper care.”

Ms Johansson said seven EU member states had agreed to take in at least 1,600 unaccompanied children from the camps, seen as especially vulnerable.

Many of the migrants are Syrians fleeing the civil war, but there are also Afghans, Pakistanis and West Africans. It is not clear how many would qualify for refugee status.

Aid agencies consider Syria too dangerous for migrants to be sent back there, but some other countries of origin, such as Pakistan, are considered safe enough.

Greece has temporarily suspended its processing of new asylum applications – a move condemned by aid groups.

Oxfam’s spokesman on EU migration, Florian Oel, said “all EU governments have avoided taking responsibility, not just Greece” over the migrant crisis.

He said the situation had remained very bad since 2016, when Turkey signed a deal with the EU to halt a much larger flow of migrants into Europe.

The latest surge in numbers at the Greek border came after Turkey announced that it would no longer stop them trying to enter Greece. Turkey, which is hosting 3.7 million Syrian refugees already, accuses the EU of not doing enough to help.

“People in need of safety have been turned into political bargaining chips,” Mr Oel told the BBC.

“The EU partners have to share responsibility for those arriving; it means states should relocate refugees to their own countries and do the asylum procedure there. They must agree on permanent rules.”

However, he welcomed the EU announcement on relocating unaccompanied children as “a good first step”.

Ms Johansson said repatriation of migrants from the islands would be coordinated with the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the EU border force Frontex.

The situation is also acute on the Greece-Turkey land border, where Greek police have used tear gas and water cannon to keep migrants out.

Source: BBC

Share This Article
Facebook Whatsapp Whatsapp Email Copy Link Print

Latest News

Ghana secures $370M from IMF after successful review
July 8, 2025
Ablekuma North: EC to rerun Parliamentary Election in 19 Polling Stations
July 2, 2025
Mid-Year budget to clarify road contractor payments – Ampem Nyarko
July 2, 2025
 ISODEC Urges Citizens to Engage More in Local Governance Processes 
July 2, 2025
Mfantseman Youth Trained to Strengthen Local Governance Participation 
July 2, 2025
Government Reaffirms Commitment to Investment-Friendly Environment to Attract Development Financing
July 1, 2025
New UN report charts path out of debt crisis threatening global development
June 30, 2025

You Might Also Like

Breaking NewsBusinesstop stories

World Bank backs Ghana $360m to strengthen macroeconomic stability

June 30, 2025
Breaking NewsElection watchtop stories

GJA holds national and regional elections today

June 30, 2025
Breaking NewsBusinesstop stories

PURC announces 2.45% increase in Electricity tariffs from July 1

June 26, 2025
Breaking NewsBusinesstop stories

Iran cannot unilaterally shut Strait of Hormuz – NPA boss

June 23, 2025

About Us

Public Agenda is fou­nded and owned by Pu­blic Agenda Communic­ations.

Public Agenda was founded as a public interest Me­dia entity. Its Visi­on is to contribute to building a well-i­nformed society where accurate informati­on dissemination is the cornerstone of a democratic, just and equitable society.

Its mission is to inform, guide and bui­ld responsible citiz­enship and accountab­le decision making and strive for excell­ence in the media in­dustry. Public Agenda Communications is managed by a Board of Directors.

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?