Migrant arrivals up 80% compared to last year
Migrant arrivals in the first nine months of the year were 80% higher than in the corresponding period in 2021, the Migration and Asylum Ministry said on Tuesday.
It also noted that the number of migrants residing in the state was 54% lower, and that on the islands by 14%, in September compared to the same month last year.
In September, applications for asylum increased by 32%, and decisions at the first and secondary level by 7%, compared to the previous month.
In terms of outstanding asylum applications at first and secondary level, September saw an overall drop of 42% compared to the same month in 2021.
In the first nine months of 2022, a total of 6,449 voluntary returns, expulsions and resettlements were carried out, considerably less than the 11,023 of arrivals during the same period.
In September, a total of 756,886 migrants resided legally in Greece, of whom 29% were EU citizens and persons of Greek origin, 63% were third-country citizens with long-term residence permits, and 8% with international protection and active residence permits.
The number of residence permits held by long-term investors totaled 10,697 in the same month.
In addition, a total of 21,039 applications were filed online by Ukrainian refugees, with a total of 19,783 temporary protection permits issued so far. [AMNA]
