Migration Policy Minister Dimitris Vitsas and Deputy Interior Minister of Germany responsible for migration issues Stephan Mayer visited on Thursday the migrant hosting centre at Schisto, Attica region.
In his statements, Mayer noted “the huge effort of the Greek authorities to improve conditions” for migrants, adding that Greece and Spain remain the top gateways for migration flows to Europe while Germany essentially is their final destination, therefore Greece and Germany should cooperate closely. “No other EU country has received so much support in the last years as Greece from Germany and we want to strengthen this support,” said Mayer.
On his part, Vitsas said, “The most important issue is for the Dublin IV Treaty to proceed and for a new relocation programme to be introduced in order for European countries to share responsibility and obligations that a humanitarian approach of the migration/refugee issue requires.”
Facilities at Schisto, which opened in 2016, are housing over 780 people, mostly from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and some from Somalia and Egypt. These include 162 families, 310 children, 21 women, 145 men and 24 single-parent families.
SOURCE: ANA-MPA