Greece court relaxes rules for refugee movement

ATHENS: Greece’s top administrative court has ruled that asylum seekers should be allowed to move freely around the country, a decision that could alleviate pressure on overcrowded island refugee camps.

A JUSTICE source on WEDNESDAY SAID the Council of State ruling only applies to asylum seekers who arrive from now on, and is not applicable to over 15,000 people already on the islands.

It was published on Tuesday following a complaint by the Greek council of refugees concerning dramatic conditions in the camps.

“Flows from Turkey have increased but they are still manageable,” deputy migration minister Yiannis Balafas told Sto Kokkino radio on WEDNESDAY.

A person with knowledge of the issue, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the government is likely to seek legal avenues to set exceptions to the court ruling.

The immigration ministry said it would study the ruling and that it had tabled a new law addressing the issue.

A ministry source said the bill will be approved by parliament by the end of the month.

So far, only ailing and vulnerable refugees such as unaccompanied minors have been allowed off the islands without full asylum approval, a process that can take many months owing to the sheer volume of applications.

Until now, the migration ministry has refused to allow larger numbers of refugees to cross to the mainland, arguing that it would only encourage people smugglers to send more over.

Local authorities have long protested to Athens over the issue and have blocked state efforts to expand capacity in the camps in retaliation.