Agenda of KYSEA on Friday
Among the topics to be discussed on Friday is the potential suspension of asylum applications from Syrian refugees.
Earlier reports at To Vima from late last week say the government is considering suspending the applications, following the move from Germany, Italy and Austria, and other EU countries on the matter.
However, a government source said that it is too early to make such a decisions as it is unclear how things will develop in the country. Meanwhile, Greece is not expecting massive migration flows- at least not yet.
In the meantime, Greece’s migration services are “fully prepared” and continues to follow the same migration policy, which has proven to be effective.
European Countries Freeze Asylum for Syrians
Germany, Italy, and Austria have already announced the suspension of asylum applications from Syrian but there are calls for a common European policy to avoid imbalances in managing the issue.
The developments in Syria have put the issue on the agenda of next week’s Council of EU Ministers for Home Affairs and Migration in Brussels.
There is hope for a “blue skies scenario” where refugees that fled the country to avoid persecution by the Assad regime willingly return to Syria. Yet it is clear that it will take time for Syria to develop a functioning and stable government.
Athens’ Immediate Concern: The Safety of the Christian Population
The Greek government continues to watch developments closely as it is more immediately concerned about the safety of the Christian population in Syria, highlighted by yesterday’s phone call between the Prime Minister and the Patriarch of Antioch, John X.
In the meantime, reports say the Ministry of National Defense is preparing to provide immediate assistance for the safe return of Greek or European citizens if required. Any such evacuations will be particularly hard however, as there is no organized authority in Syria that can create, coordinate and protect safe evacuation pathways.
