Greece's refugee minor relocation program concludes with departure of 15 children to Portugal
Deputy Migration Minister Sofia Voultepsi and Special Secretary for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors Iraklis Moskof saw them off at Athens International Aiprort.
In an announcement, the ministry noted that a total of 1,368 unaccompanied children were safely transferred to other countries during the program, with the first children departing in April 2020. From that first group, 12 children traveled to Luxembourg and 47 to Germany, said the ministry.
The relocation program demonstrated solidarity between EU member states in practice, responding to the call of the Greek government, especially so during 2019, noted the Greek ministry. During that time, it added, the increased number of unaccompanied minors registered in the country required immediate and effective management to find and implement sustainable solutions for each individual case.
The program's implementation was made possible with the support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM Greece), the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR Greece) and Green non-governmental organization METAdrasi - Action For Migration & Development.
