Confidential report shows mismanagement in response to migration

Mismanagement and a lack of planning has resulted in an inefficient response to the migration crisis in Greece, according to a confidential report by an international organization seen by Kathimerini.

The report points to signs of financial mismanagement, claiming for instance that a new reception facility in Malakasa, northeast of Athens, which was funded by the European Union, was overpriced.

The document says the Migration Ministry attributed the higher price to the fact that it was an emergency intervention, "however a similar project was carried out within seven days, while the average cost was 270 euros per beneficiary, compared to 3,900 euros per beneficiary in Malakasa.”

It also accused the new ministry of not trying to create a competent administrative structure, but instead creating a “parallel system” of civil servants who are not specialized.

The report also accused the ministry of heralding unrealistic measures such as the mass transfer of migrants to the mainland amid the coronavirus pandemic, the fact that all new facilities should be “closed,” or the closure of reception facilities by the end of the year.

It added that the government has no plan for thousands of migrants who have secured asylum and are to leave facilities in due course.

It also said that the ministry falsely presents a positive picture that everything is going well in managing migration, warning that this will mean the government will not be able to react quickly and effectively when a new wave of migration starts from Turkey this summer.