October 8, 2024
Greece, Politics
Seventeen countries within the Schengen Zone, including Greece, are calling for a revision of the legal framework to enable more “effective” returns of individuals who do not have the right to remain in the European Union. Ahead of the EU Interior Ministers’ Council on Thursday 10, October in Luxembourg and …
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May 23, 2023
Economy
The deadline for filing 2022 income tax in Greece is extended until 15:00 on July 31, 2023. The relevant decision was signed on Tuesday by Deputy Finance Minister Apostolos Vesyropoulos. The deadline applies to individuals and legal entities. For those who owe taxes, the first installment must be paid by …
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September 3, 2021
FEATURED, Greece, Politics
The Council of Europe has slammed Greece’s deportations and returns bill noting it should align with human rights standards. The CoE called on the Greek government to not obstruct the work of NGOs, and the Parliament to reconsider elements of the bill. Council of Europe statement on Greece “The Greek …
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July 16, 2021
CORONAVIRUS, FEATURED
The Greek government has announced new measures to address the rapid spread of the Delta mutation and decided to make self-tests mandatory for those returning from the Greek islands to mainland or travel by boat even per sea taxi. According to a decision issued by the Ministry of Shipping and …
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January 14, 2021
Greece, Politics
Greece’s Migration and Asylum Ministry announced that it has submitted a request to the European Commission and the EU border agency Frontex for the immediate return of 1,450 foreigners who are not entitled to international protection to Turkey, based on the EU-Turkey Statement. Greece has requested the return to Turkey …
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March 12, 2020
Greece, Politics
European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson and Migration and Asylum Minister Notis Mitarakis announced the creation of a temporary mechanism for the voluntary return of 5,000 migrants from the Greek islands to their countries of origin. The mechanism will be temporary, lasting only one month, and will offer the …
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February 15, 2020
Greece
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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April 11, 2019
Greece
What if the average Greek pensioner is struggling to make ends meet with a monthly pension of 400, 500 or 600 euros? Greek lawmakers who most probably voted in favor of pension cuts in the first and second bailout agreement now vehemently demand restoration of their pensions which are normally …
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August 14, 2018
Greece, Politics
Talks between Germany and Greece on a deal for refugees returns are fairly advanced, said Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday, highlighting that an agreement with Italy still has some time yet. “We are in the process of negotiations,” she said during a joint press conference she gave in Berlin with …
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July 1, 2018
Greece, Politics
German Ambassador to Greece Jens Ploetner has vehemently rejected speculations that Berlin traded with Athens to accept migrants’ returns in exchange of suspension of VAT hikes on islands hit by the Refugee crisis. In an interview with Kathimerini, Ploetner vehemently denied speculation that the name deal signed between Greece and …
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June 29, 2018
Politics, World
Greece and Spain have agreed to accept returns of migrants registered via the Eurodac system and who have reached later Germany, Chancellor, Angela Merkel, announced on Friday in Brussels after meetings with prime ministers Alexis Tsipras and Pedro Sanchez. In return, Germany will gradually step up family reunifications. Migrants registered …
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May 16, 2018
Politics, Refugees
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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December 11, 2017
Refugees
The German Foreign Ministry has made it clear that it will not provide additional winter assistance to refugees on the Aegean islands. In a related question from German newspapers, the foreign ministry replied that “responsibility for accommodating and feeding refugees falls under the jurisdiction of each country.” According to dpa, …
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October 5, 2017
Refugees
European governments have put thousands of Afghans in harm’s way by forcibly returning them to a country where they are at serious risk of torture, kidnapping, death and other human rights abuses, Amnesty International said today in a new report. In their determination to increase the number of deportations, European …
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August 27, 2017
Politics, Refugees
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that Greece and Italy alone cannot bear the burden of refugees alone because of their geographic position. She defended her Open Borders policy in 2015 and said that the Dublin System has overburdened these two Mediterranean countries. She renewed her campaign pledge that Germany “should …
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August 7, 2017
Greece
Migration Minister Yiannis Mouzalas has confirmed that Germany will start returning newly-arrived asylum seekers to Greece, effectively ending a five-year suspension of such transfers due to the poor conditions in the debt-hit country. In an interview with German public television station ARD show “Report Mainz,” due to be aired on …
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July 6, 2017
Economy
Social security fund EFKA will have to return money to 400,000 self-employed and freelancers after calculation mistakes led to increased social security contributions in 2017. With the new social security contributions system in effect as on 1.1.2017, self-employed and freelancers pay contribution according to income criteria. However, what the social …
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February 28, 2017
Economy
Representatives of Greece’s creditors returned to Athens and they resume talks in an effort to reach an agreement on technical level (staff level agreement) and conclude the second review in no longer than two weeks. According to Athens News Agency, the European side but also the International Monetary Fund consider …
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