On Tuesday, February 4, a scheduled return flight for third country nationals, organized by the ELAS, took place. and coordinated by FRONTEX, in cooperation with the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum. The operation involved the repatriation of 10 Georgian nationals and 30 Pakistani nationals whose asylum claims had been definitively rejected.

The Asylum Service of the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum carried out the rapid examination of subsequent applications submitted in the last 48 hours at the Amygdaleza pre-removal detention centre with a simultaneous presence at the El. Venizelos International Airport for the processing of pending cases and the completion of the return procedure.

According to official Eurostat data for 2024, Greece ranks fourth among the 27 EU member states in the return of rejected asylum seekers, demonstrating in practice the implementation of a strict but fair immigration policy. The main pillars of this policy include protecting the borders, granting asylum only to those who are entitled to it and intensifying returns for those who do not need international protection.

Minister of Immigration and Asylum, Mr. Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, said: “Greece is implementing a strict but fair migration policy, based on border protection, the swift and effective examination of asylum applications and the intensification of returns for those not entitled to international protection. Yesterday’s return operation, carried out in cooperation with the Greek Police, FRONTEX, and the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum, confirms our commitment to the strict implementation of the European and national migration management framework.”

Continuing, the Minister underlined: “Greece ranks fourth in Europe in the return of rejected asylum seekers, which reflects our systematic effort to ensure that asylum is granted exclusively to those who are entitled to it, while those who do not qualify are returned to their countries of origin. An effective return policy is not only a Greek priority but also a European necessity. We need a common European strategy that will strengthen cooperation with both countries of origin and third countries, ensuring the swift and coordinated return of those who are not entitled to international protection.”

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