FinMin officials to tackle migrant crisis

Officials from the Ministry of Finance were expected to be transferred to the Ministry Immigration Policy in order to tackle the ongoing refugee and migrant crisis, interim Finance Ministry Nikos Christodoulakis, announced on Thursday.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Christodoulakis said the 10 officials in question had extensive experience in the management of European Union programs.

At the press meeting, Christodoulakis also announced financial aid for Greek islands receiving large number of migrants and refugees.

Meanwhile, Christos Zois, caretaker minister for the merchant marine, said over 230,000 migrants had arrived in Greece in the first 8 months of this year, compared to roughly 17,500 in the same eight months last year.

Zois said 80 percent of those arriving were refugees. The migrant arrivals in just July and August alone surpassed 157,000, he said.

The country's caretaker government – in power until Greece holds an early election on Sept. 20 – is announcing immediate measures in order to tackle the refugee crisis that has overwhelmed its eastern Aegean islands and northern border with Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

Zois said authorities have received information that there could be millions more refugees waiting to cross toward Europe through Greece.

The vast majority of refugees who arrive do not want to remain in the financially stricken country and head north to more prosperous European countries.

[AP, Kathimerini]