Pre-registration procedures for the migrants that are already in Greece has been completed, an operation proclaimed by Yannis Mouzalas as “chaos put into shape”. The registered migrants will be provided with a card allowing them access to education and health services as well as some form of occupation.
The deputy migration minister gave a press conference to address the issue, expressing the hopeful view that the migrant situation is “manageable now that there is a clear view”. Proof of that is the fact that a significant number of migrants – more than 11,000 people – is being placed into flats and hotels rented by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). This will lead to 15 refugee camps shutting down within the following two months and more undergoing changes, in order to provide better services.
“Some structures are bad and we will work towards more decent conditions,” said the deputy minister.
Speaking at the same press conference, the head of the UNCHR in Greece, Phillip Leclerc, noted that the procedure was extremely fast and added that according to his experience in other parts of the world, this was a “world record”.
Greece’s exemplary response to the greatest humanitarian crisis of our times was praised by Angela Merkel, who said that the arrival of 45,000 migrants to Greece (from the time FYROM closed its borders to the implementation of the EU-Turkey deal), given the country’s size and population, is equal to 360,000 migrants arriving in Germany. Speaking to Passauer Neue Presse newspaper, she then pointed out that only 3,000 migrants have successfully relocated from Greece to Europe, expressing her disappointment in the way most EU countries have responded, especially compared to Greece.
This echoed the sentiment expressed by Mr Mouzalas, who spoke of the obstacles presented due to the denial of several European countries to accept migrants. The Greek deputy minister for migration stated the urgent need for a European Relocation Mechanism to be established, as well as for further initiatives to be taken by the European foreign ministers.