A voluntary plan by European Union member states to welcome unaccompanied migrant children from Greece officially ended on Tuesday, raising concerns about the delays the bloc is still facing in drafting a comprehensive new migration agreement.
Fifteen minors from Somalia, the Gambia and Pakistan boarded a plane in Athens bound for Lisbon, Portugal, bringing the total number of migrant children resettled under the program to 1,368 in 16 countries since 2020, officials said in Athens.
The European Commission has promised to finalize work on new migration rules common to all member states in 2024, after several years of delays. The main stumbling block centers around the so-called solidarity mechanism, under which member states will be given resettlement quotas to help countries such as Greece, Italy and Spain, where most asylum seekers arrive.
Sophia Vultepsi, Deputy Minister of Migration, said Athens is already in discussions with member countries EU a new voluntary scheme, if necessary. “Greece alone cannot bear the burden of refugees and immigration. She cannot carry on her shoulders all the unaccompanied children arriving in our country,” she told reporters at Athens International Airport.
Gianluca Rocco, head of mission for the UN International Organization for Migration in Greece, said he remains hopeful the EU can reach an agreement. “The concern (focused) is that discussions on the pact are approaching a very important moment because next year the mandate of the commission will expire,” he said. “This issue needs to be addressed together and collectively.”
[AP]
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