Mitsotakis, UNHCR’s Grandi discuss challenges from migration
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi at Maximos Mansion on Wednesday and discussed the challenges Greece faced in recent years with the rise of migrant and refugee flows from Turkey.
Grandi is on a two-day visit to Greece as of Wednesday, and has scheduled meetings with local government officials and nonprofits.
The two officials discussed the support of the UNHCR office in Athens and the Asylum Service, including the work carried out by the latter's staff to process thousands of asylum applications.
Mitsotakis briefed Grandi on the initiative for unaccompanied children "No child alone", which will provide housing with the help of the EU, UNHCR and Citizens Society.
He also briefed him on efforts at EU level to reform the asylum system and the new Greek asylum law, while he stressed the need for Turkey to respect the EU-Turkey Joint Statement of March 2016 on migrants.
Also attending were UNHCR representative in Greece Philippe Leclerc, UNHCR's Director of the Regional Bureau for Europe Pascale Moreau and Greek ministers.
[ANA-MPA]