Greece on Wednesday carried out the first relocation of refugees from its territory to Luxembourg, part of an EU-approved plan to ease the burden on border nations affected by this year’s crisis.
Six families from Syria and Iraq boarded a plane flying out of Athens. They are among the first under a €780m, two-year scheme funded by the European Union.
Smiling parents holding young children posed for “selfies” with the Greek prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, the European Parliament’s president, Martin Schulz, and Luxembourg’s foreign minister, Jean Asselborn, on the runway at Athens international airport, before boarding their flight.
Wishing farewell to first #refugees relocated from #Greece w PM @tsipras_eu, com @Avramopoulos &FM #Asselborn 1/2 pic.twitter.com/qbTk4D4RNQ
— EP President (@EP_President) November 4, 2015
Η πρώτη μετεγκατάσταση προσφύγων από την Ελλάδα ολοκληρώθηκε. #refugeescrisis pic.twitter.com/OcuD1i6Iuc
— Ευρωκοινοβούλιο (@EP_Hellas) November 4, 2015
Austria and Germany have recently moved to tighten their asylum policy. Austria’s new law would force most to wait for three years, rather than one, before their families are able to join them. It would also make them prove they have an independent source of income, health insurance and accommodation.
More than 580,000 refugees have entered Greece through its long sea border with Turkey this year, creating a tough logistical, financial and humanitarian challenge for the cash-strapped EU state.
Greece has agreed to temporarily house up to 50,000 refugees on its territory this year, with many in quarters subsidised by the United Nations.
In September, the EU approved the transfer of about 160,000 asylum seekers from member states directly affected by the migrant crisis.
About 86 people have already been transferred directly from Italy to Sweden and Finland under the scheme.
Reuters contributed to this report
