Stricter rules to assess status of young asylum seekers

A new procedure to assess whether an asylum seeker is a minor was announced by the Migration Ministry on Wednesday. The new procedure entails a stricter framework, in order to ensure that asylum seekers who are classified as minors do indeed belong to this age group.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, as part of a European Union program aimed at relocating 1,600 unaccompanied young migrants out of Greek state facilities, a group of 18 children were transferred to Belgium.

Alternate Migration Minister Giorgos Koumoutsakos said the move was a “tangible example of European solidarity.”

At the same time, new proposals for the cooperation of citizens and refugees have been submitted via the European program “Curing the Limbo.”

The aim of the program is to promote projects in areas of Athens deemed as problematic by the public and to give refugees the chance to participate.