Eighty-six Pakistani citizens voluntarily returned home on Tuesday, boarding a flight chartered by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The return of the migrants was organized within the Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) program in cooperation with the Asylum Service of the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum and the Greek Police. The project is 75% funded by the European Commission Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and 25% by Greek public funds. At least 9,020 foreign nationals have returned safely to their countries from Greece since the launch of the project in September 2019, the ministry said in a statement.
Speaking at the Athens International Airport, Migration and Asylum Minister Notis Mitarakis said that the voluntary return of migrants had doubled. He also mentioned what was achieved on Monday agreement Greece with the Frontex border guard to expand planning and capacity for such returns.
[amna]
More Stories
Children of a Ukrainian refugee were molested by a pedophile
Large-scale reform of EU migration legislation approved by the European Parliament
Migrants in Chios: three girls aged 5, 7 and 10 died