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Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-10-21
CONTENTS
[01] Civil protection ministry says UNHCR's claims on Syrians' forced
returns is unfounded
[01] Civil protection ministry says UNHCR's claims on Syrians' forced
returns is unfounded
The civil protection ministry rejected claims made by the UN Refugee
Agency on Friday that 10 Syrian refugees who had arrived in Greece were
illegally returned to Turkey, saying they were indeed asked whether
they wanted to apply for asylum.
UNHCR said it is "seriously concerned by the return of Syrian nationals
from Greece to Turkey", adding they were among a group of 91 people who
arrived on the island of Milos on October 9. The 10 Syrian nationals
"were transferred to Kos and subsequently readmitted by plane to Adana,
Turkey without due consideration of their asylum claims," the agency said.
The ministry said the refugees were first informed of their right to
apply for international protection by Greek police on the day of their
arrival to Milos and for a second time during their 10-day stay at the
registration and identification center in Leros.
Once at the airport of Kos, where they would be returned to Turkey,
authorities asked them again if they had changed their mind and wanted
to apply. One three-member family said they wanted to apply and did not
board the flight, but none of the ten Syrians expressed such a wish,
the ministry said.
"We note that throughout the return flight there were Frontex officials
and a representative of the Greek Ombudsman inside the plane, supervising
the procedure," it added.
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