Bid to create asylum agency
Citizens’ Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis has called for the creation of a committee of experts to advise the government on the composition and operation of an independent agency for processing the asylum applications of immigrants, sources said yesterday. The committee would comprise experts from the Citizens Protection, Interior and Health ministries, the United Nations refugee agency, the Greek Council for Refugees and the Ombudsman, according to the sources which said that a proposal about the form such an agency should take was expected in mid-December. The initiative came a few days after a group of 21 rights groups sent a letter to the European Commission, complaining about the alleged mistreatment of refugees by Greek authorities.
