Greece Rejects Refugee Returns from Germany

Athens has firmly declined Germany’s proposal to return refugees who initially sought asylum in Greece, citing the country’s already heavy burden of hosting a disproportionate number of displaced people within the EU.

Greek Immigration and Asylum Minister Makis Voridis told Skai news channel that accepting such returns is “out of the question” given Greece’s position as the EU’s second-highest host of refugees per capita, after Cyprus. “As long as there is no fair distribution of burdens within the European Union, Greece will not accept any returns,” Voridis stated, emphasizing that returns would not address the broader migration issue.

The statement follows a German Federal Administrative Court ruling last week, which declared deportations to Greece permissible, finding that two men facing return would not face inhumane conditions. Under the EU’s Dublin Agreement, asylum seekers must process their applications in the first EU country they enter. The men had moved to Germany and filed new asylum claims, which were deemed inadmissible, leading to deportation orders to Greece.

Voridis noted that no formal requests for returns have been received from Germany, but Greece would not be receptive if such requests arise. “We won’t be very friendly to the request,” he said, adding that any legal issues would be reviewed if necessary.

Source: pagenews.gr