Minister states Greece will send transports to Poland to facilitate refugee resettlement

Migration and Asylum Minister Notis Mitarakis stated on Thursday that Greece will send buses or airplanes to Poland to voluntarily accept and resettle refugees from Ukraine after an appeal by the Polish government. The appeal came as more than 1.2 million Ukrainians have sought refuge there. However, the minister stressed that any move will not be compulsory but voluntary.

The minister revealed that Greece can accept approximately 30,000 Ukrainian refugees and pointed out that if there are more refugees, Greece could apply for emergency EU funding to cover the costs.  

Mitarakis, in an interview with SKAI TV, noted that over 7,000 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Greece since the start of the Russian invasion. He said that they are almost immediately granted a 12-month residency permit. The minister explained that the majority are staying with fellow Ukrainians who already lived in Greece.