Athens, 29 November 2021

Greek MPs participate in international virtual roundtable on refugee resettlement

 

A virtual roundtable on the resettlement of refugees took place in Brussels. The discussion was organised by the European Parliament, the UNHCR and the Centre for European Policy Studies at the initiative of MEP and European Parliament Rapporteur for the Union Refugee Resettlement Programme Malin Björk. The Hellenic Parliament participated in the virtual roundtable with MPs Efstathios Konstantinidis and Ioannis Mouzalas.

The discussion was attended by MEPs, members of national parliaments, academics and representatives of the civil society. The first part of the discussion focused on refugee and resettlement needs, perspectives and priorities in light of the UN Global Compact on Refugees. The second part focused on the role of the EU and national parliaments in setting up sustainable programmes to protect refugees.

In his speech, Mr. E. Konstantinidis underlined the unacceptable instrumentalisation of the refugee issue by Turkey, which he called on to implement the provisions of the 2016 EU-Turkey Statement and to allow the return of illegally residing foreigners, which it has suspended since March 2020. “Greece has assumed disproportionate responsibilities and burdens in the context of Europe’s management of migration, which is why it us unable to participate in refugee resettlement programmes. However, Greece, responding to the urgent need for humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, has provided a safe haven to 819 Afghan nationals, at risk from the Taliban regime, until they are resettled in other countries. It hosted 12 people, staff of the EU delegation in Kabul and we are committed to welcome 10 Afghans that cooperated with the NATO operation in Afghanistan. Furthermore, we evacuated the Afghan interpreters who worked for the Greek military forces along with the members of their families and we welcomed Afghan women, judges, lawyers, journalists, civil society activists and their families” said Mr Konstantinidis in his speech. He also stressed the need for a holistic policy at EU level on migration, an important aspect of which is the issue of resettlement, which must be addressed in conjunction with other aspects of migration and mainly the reduction of illegal flows.

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