The head of Amnesty International’s chapter in Greece, Gavriil Sakellaridis, questioned whether the Greek authorities would respond to an emergency signal issued by a boat stopped at the barrier. The new Greek government has taken an increasingly hardline approach to immigration and asylum. Greece's migration ministry is facing stiff opposition to its unexpected proposal to create new, larger reception and identification centers for asylum seekers on the northern land border at Evros, as well as on the southeastern Aegean island of Leros. But rights groups have condemned the plan, warning that it would increase the perils faced by asylum seekers amid growing tensions at camps on the Aegean Islands and in communities there and on the mainland. Established in 1995, EIN Newsdesk helps millions of users track breaking news across thousands of trusted websites. Tensions are particularly acute on the sprawling Moria camp on Lesbos, with reports of 30 stabbings in the past month, two fatal. The meeting was chaired by Switzerland’s Deputy Migration Minister Mario Gattiker, while Greece was represented by his counterpart Giorgos Koumoutsakos. accusing Turkey of exploiting the refugee crisis, over energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean. According to Greece’s migration minister, Notis Mitarakis, 72,000 migrants entered Greece last year, compared with 42,000 in 2018. Greece participated as an observer in a meeting of the Board of Directors of the International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) for the first time on Thursday. The new enforcement measures will be backed up by large-scale collection of personal data: the EU is also building a vast new biometric database to hold the details of all third-country nationals who enter, a plan criticised by privacy experts and migrants’ rights groups. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File) GREEK NEWS WORLD ... Greece records 800 new Covid-19 cases and 32 fatalities during last 24 hours. 6 First, significant numbers of Greeks began to migrate once again, but unlike past waves of Greek emigrants, the new wave was composed primarily of highly-educated youth, prompting alarm about ‘brain drain’. But it is likely to be formalised next month when the European commission unveils its new pact on migration and asylum, which will shape the bloc’s overall policy in the years to come. Greece’s Answer to Migrants, a Floating Barrier, Is Called a ‘Disgrace’. ATHENS — As Greece struggles to deal with a seemingly endless influx of migrants from neighboring Turkey, the conservative government has a contentious new plan to respond to the problem: a floating net barrier to avert smuggling boats. It would be easy to place the blame for these situations squarely on the shoulders of countries at the EU’s Mediterranean frontier. In a country like the UK, which does not sit next to a war zone, advocates of “tougher” policies to deter asylum seekers will claim that the principle does not apply, since people who reach Britain’s shores will have passed through several peaceful countries before they get there. A defence of this shift might be that the refugee crisis provoked an anti-immigration backlash in many parts of Europe, and politicians have a duty to balance competing interests – in this case the need to protect vulnerable migrants with the desire of some voters to limit immigration. This new proposal modifies that law and other pieces of migration legislation. The revelation by the New York Times that Greece has secretly expelled more than 1,000 asylum seekers, abandoning many of them on inflatable life rafts in the Aegean Sea, is the latest example of this disturbing trend. Stay on top of Migration latest developments on the ground with Al Jazeera’s fact-based news, exclusive video footage, photos and updated maps. This Agreement defines the scope of IOM activities and sets out in detail its responsibilities. Daniel Trilling. Rights groups have condemned the plan, warning that it would increase the dangers faced by asylum seekers. A dinghy carrying refugees from Gambia and the Republic of the Congo approaches Lesbos, Greece, in February 2020. vital part of international refugee law is the principle of non-refoulement: the idea that states should not push people seeking asylum back to unsafe countries. Greece, on the front line of migration into Europe, promised on Wednesday to build new reception centres for asylum seekers and cut the maximum stay in camps on its now-overcrowded islands. Greece has repeatedly appealed for more support from the bloc to tackle migration flows, saying it cannot handle the burden alone and accusing Turkey of exploiting the refugee crisis for leverage with the European Union. Responding to the New York Times investigation, Greece’s prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, said that reports of illegal push-backs were “misinformation” and that his country’s policies were “tough but fair”. The proposal is under discussion in the parliament from 5 May. The government is expected to assign the job in the next three months, though it is unclear when the barrier would be erected. Since 2015, Greece has effectively been used by the rest of the EU as a buffer zone against unwanted migration, leaving thousands of refugees in unsanitary camps on islands in the Aegean and on the mainland. But that rhythm changed this August, the busiest month in more than three years, feeding fears of a new wave of mass migration across the Aegean Sea. According to the latest census, the population of Greece increased from 10,259,900 in 1991 to 10,964,020 in 2001. The country must now — amid economic turmoil — grapple with issues related to its highly porous borders, mounting asylum applications, and inadequate immigrant-detention system. 09/01 20:51. It has no … View the latest US immigration news and coverage on refugees and international travel. News|Migration. The construction will be overseen by the Defense Ministry, which has supervised the creation of new reception centers on the Greek islands and mainland in recent months, and will be subject to “nonmilitary specifications” to meet international maritime standards, the submission noted. The new center-right government is grappling with a surge in migration and deteriorating conditions in the country’s asylum centers. Greece's Migration Ministry to speed up plan for new Chios camp. Major obstacles emerge for immigrants’ education, political participation and access to nationality. Contractors have also been selected for new camps on the islands of Samos, Kos and Leros, migration minister Notis Mitarachi told reporters. The floating barrier will help curb arrivals, Mr. Mitarakis said. Rights groups have also warned of the increasingly dire conditions at existing camps on five islands hosting some 44,000 people, nearly 10 times their capacity. Migrants additionally make up 25% of wage and salary earners. Greece participates in the following funds/programmes.2014-2020Asylum, Migration and Integration FundResponsible authority European and Development Programs Division4, P. Kanelopoulou st. Athens 10177Budget The basic allocation for Greece under this fund is €259.348.877,00. This article is more than 4 months old. 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