The first relocation of refugees from Greece to another European Union country will take place on Wednesday morning. A ceremony will precede the departure of the refugees and is to be attended by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos, European Parliament President Martin Schulz, Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn and Greece’s Alternate Minister for Migration Policy Yiannis Mouzalas.

30 refugees will depart from Athens International Airport heading to Luxembourg.

They are the first six families to benefit from the relocation program. Four of them are from Syria and two are from Iraq with small children, including some children with special needs.

The refugees will depart at 8:30 on Wednesday morning on an Aegean Airlines flight to Brussels and will then travel to Luxembourg by bus,. The families will be accompanied by a representative of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

According to sources, the six families were gathered at the Greek Asylum Service on Monday and briefed on the details of their journey and their residence in Luxembourg once they arrive.

Countries that have expressed an interest in accepting refugees include Belgium, France, Cyprus, Germany, Lithuania and Finland.