Greek migration authorities finally granted asylum to Saidu Kamara, a 17-year-old high school student from Guinea. It was the second application for asylum by the young boy who was at risk to be deported to his home country that he had left three years ago as unaccompanied minor. Kamara appealed …
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Turkish nationals seeking asylum use paragliding to reach Greece UPD
Two Turkish nationals flew a paraglider and landed in Karystos on the island of Evia seeking political asylum. According to an exclusive report by local media evima.gr the paragliding crashed in the sea area of Bouros early Saturday evening. Port authorities picked up the two people and transferred them to …
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“Greece has no right to stop accepting asylum applications,” says UNHCR
The United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees said on Monday that Greece had no right to stop accepting asylum applications as Athens struggled with a sudden increase of arrivals at its border of Middle East refugees and migrants from Turkey. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Sunday his country …
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Greece upgrades border security to Maximum, suspends Asylum, calls Turkey “a trafficker”
Greece has decided to suspend asylum for a month and to activate a series of EU and Frontext mechanisms to protect her land and sea borders, while thousands of migrants are pushing their way to the country in Evros and the Aegean islands. “Turkey has become a trafficker itself,” government …
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“Asylum procedures reduced to 24 days,” says Greece’s Migration Minister
Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis said that examination of asylum applications has been reduced to 24 days as of January 1 and for the new arrivals in 2020. He stressed that the government’s goal is to have procedures conclude in three months. The Greek government has given priority to asylum-seekers …
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Germany prepares new Asylum regulation focusing on EU’s “external borders”
German Interior Minister, Horst Seehofer (CSU) is promoting a new EU Asylum legislation plan aiming to scrap the Dublin Regulation and have future asylum-seekers stay out of Europe, Seehofer’s central idea is that asylum procedures start in the countries at the EU external borders and end in other EU states. …
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Human Rights Watch: Greece’s Asylum overhaul threatens refugees’ rights
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged Greece to remove specific articles on its new Asylum draft Law as they threaten to restrict access to protection for asylum seekers from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. The Greek parliament should scrap provisions in a new bill that threaten to limit asylum seekers’ access …
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UNHCR expresses concern at Greece’s asylum plans
The United Nations refugees agency UNHCR expressed concern about Greek proposals to overhaul laws affecting asylum seekers, saying they could weaken the protection of refugees. Greece is proposing to streamline a lengthy asylum process and deport rejected asylum seekers. A draft law is pending in the Greek parliament. The law …
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Greece’s Asylum bill: Drastic changes to facilitate “fast track” deportations
The new Asylum bill is heading to the Greek Parliament by the conservative New Democracy government despite objections by human rights organizations. The bill introduces a series of measures and drastic changes aiming to restrict access to asylum, reduce asylum procedure times or terminate stages of procedures and proceed with …
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EU urges Greece to improve refugee camp conditions, speed up asylum
The European Commission has called on Greece for “urgent action” in order to improve living conditions in the overcrowded refugees and migrant camps and speed up the asylum procedures. In its progress report “European Agenda on Migration,” the European Union welcomes steps taken by the Greek government over the past …
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Decongration of islands, acceleration of asylum procedures is Gov’t priorities
A new ‘corridor’ of refugee and migrants flows has been formed in the last months between Alexandroupolis and Samothrace, in North-East Greece, Deputy Minister for Migration Policy at the Foreign Ministry, Giorgos Koumoutsakos, said in an interview with Kathimerini newspaper. “At the same time, we see a 44-percent increase in …
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New Democracy, SYRIZA confrontation over University asylum, Bill passed
Τhe debate on the bill about the abolition of the university asylum and changes in the regional administration continues ended in a sharp confrontation not only between the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and main opposition leader Alexis Tsipras but also with the rest of opposition parties. And at the end …
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Almost 6,000 Turkish citizens seek asylum in Greece after failed coup
A total 5,786 Turkish citizens have applied for obtaining refugee status in Greece, since 2016’s failed coup attempt that was followed by a government crackdown, Turkish media reported on Sunday. According to a report by Diken attributed to the Greek Ministry of Immigration Policies, the number of Turks seeking asylum …
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Greece grants political asylum to 3. Turkish serviceman
One more Turkish officer was granted political asylum by Greek Asylum authorities on Thursday. He is the third out of the eight Turkish officers who fled to Greece after the failed coup in July 2016. With an unanimous decision the Secondary Asylum Committee to grant political asylum to Ugur Ucan. …
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Council of State’s irrevocable asylum ruling a precedent for all 8 Turkish soldiers
Greece’s Council of State has confirmed the ruling of Asylum Committee to grant asylum to one of the 8 Turkish servicemen who fled to Greece after the failed coup of 2016. The Council of State said that asylum to one of the eight Turkish servicemen is definite and irrevocable. the …
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Turkish servicemen want asylum and travel documents to leave Greece
The eight Turkish servicemen who fled to Greece after the failed coup in summer 2016, want asylum and travel documents so they can leave the country and move to a country of their choice, their lawyers said on Wednesday. In a press conference, the lawyers said it was a necessity …
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Greece approves Asylum Bill to ease camps overcrowding on the islands
Greece has approved a bill to simplify and accelerate asylum procedures and ease overcrowding in refugee camps on the islands of the Eastern Aegean sea. Human Rights groups criticize the asylum bill because it endanger the rights of refugees as it will increase the number of rejected asylum seekers to …
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17 Turkish citizens, among them 6 children, flee Erdogan regime, seeking asylum in Greece
Turkish civil servants and judges have sought refuge in Greece together with their wives and children. A total of 17 Turkish citizens, seven men, four women and six children, illegally entered Greece on Monday afternoon. They sailed from the Turkish coast to the island of Oinousses, north-east of the island …
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Russian bitcoin fraud suspect, Alexander Vinnik, seeks asylum in Greece
Alexander Vinnik, the Russian who was arrested last summer following a US arrest warrant has reportedly submitted an asylum application on Monday. According to local media, the 38-year-old visited the office of the Asylum Service in Thessaloniki earlier today. Vinnik is currently in custody in Diavata awaiting for the crucial …
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Groundhog Day for the 8 Turkish soldiers as Greek court temporarily suspends granted asylum
The Athens Administrative Court of Appeal temporary suspended the asylum granted to one of the 8 Turkish soldiers who had fled to Greece with a Black Hawk helicopter after the failed coup in Turkey in July 2016. The court accepted the request submitted by Migration Minister Yannis Mouzalas to annul …
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