“The European Union has decided to actively assist all Ukrainians seeking refuge in the war in their country,” said Immigration and Asylum Minister Notis Mitarakis after a meeting yesterday with German Interior Minister Faneroz at the Interior Ministry. . The two ministers stressed the need for a joint EU response to the influx of refugees already arriving en masse in EU member states and welcomed the immediate activation of the temporary protection mechanism.
Speaking to the Greek correspondents, Mr. Mitarakis stressed, among other things, that in view of the huge wave of refugees from Ukraine, the EU should clarify the landscape regarding the balance between responsibility and solidarity of the member states. “Immigration in Europe is not a matter of one member state, but a matter of national responsibility and European solidarity,” he said, noting that recent texts by the German, Slovenian and French presidencies clearly describe responsibility, but not solidarity.
Answering a question about the rights of Ukrainian refugees compared to refugees from Afghanistan, for example, the minister acknowledged that the activation of the mechanism created a moral issue in Europe, as the European Council now speaks of a “common European protection area”. “. He expressed the hope that when the discussion on the new European Immigration and Asylum Pact resumes, the logic of the single European area will be maintained and the balance between responsibility and solidarity will be ensured, an element to which the German Minister also agreed. However, he warned that the situation in Afghanistan could trigger new refugee flows to Europe within the year – as could the economic crisis with rising grain and energy prices.
Regarding the ongoing reception of refugees from Ukraine in Greece, Mr. Mitarakis spoke about 6,000 people who are already in the country and added that from next month a system of electronic self-registration of Ukrainians will be put into operation, in order to become their elementary inventory. In this process it will be possible – optional – to record any of their skills. The system will give the interested party an appointment, where his registration will be completed and he will receive an ID, AMKA and AFM, for direct access to the medical care and the labor market. However, he clarified, the public health structures have already been given instructions for the free treatment of Ukrainians arriving in Greece. Notis Mitarakis also did not rule out the possibility that some of them, if they work, will later receive a national residence permit in Greece.
As for the expatriates leaving Ukraine, the minister clarified that no special care is taken, as, as he characteristically said, “all Ukrainians are welcomed to the fullest extent” and will have immediate access to what they need, especially to school. In view of the new school year, special classes will be created in Ukrainian and / or Russian, he added.
During yesterday’s meeting with Ms. Feser, the issue of activating a program that is pending since July 2021 and provides German funding of 50 million euros for integration programs of beneficiaries of international protection in Greece, which will be registered of their own free will, was also raised. . In this way, Berlin “wants to contribute to the need of Greece to offer better integration”, commented Mr. Mitarakis and stressed that this program “in no way concerns the return of people from secondary immigration to Germany”.
Asked to comment on recent reports in the German media about possible mistreatment of immigrants in Greece, Mr. Mitarakis stressed that “anyone who considers that for some reason has the right to go to court, it is positive to do so, as it is positive that all complaints are examined and are judged as to their validity “. He said that in the past, when authors of such publications were asked to present their details to the investigating authorities, they did not do so. He also assured that Greece has multiple mechanisms to investigate such complaints. “Politically, however, the issue is that we have ruined a ‘business’ of a few hundred million euros,” he said, noting that “Europe’ s guarding its borders has also hampered countries aspiring to exploit refugees.” as a bargaining chip to claim rewards such as those they received in the past “. Referring to Turkey, Mr. Mitarakis reminded that the Joint Declaration of 2015 stipulates its obligation to prevent and prohibit illegal departures and to contribute to the protection of human life and added that Turkey is not a country at war. However, with his German counterpart, Mr. Mitarakis found a common ground in terms of the belief that security and protection of the EU borders is a common obligation, according to EU law.
SOURCE: AMPE
Source: Capital
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