Migrant relocations from Italy and Greece drawing to a close

Germany's Interior Ministry said on Monday that it will only resettle a small number of migrants from Italy and Greece in the coming weeks, as the European Union's migrant relocation program appears to be drawing to a close.

An Interior Ministry spokesperson told German newspaper Die Welt that far fewer people had fulfilled the necessary criteria for relocation than expected. "There are now virtually no more asylum seekers in Greece who could be considered for resettlement," according to the Ministry. To qualify, applicants had to be from a country where the chances of asylum as at least 75 percent.

Last month, some 500 migrants were still waiting to be relocated from Italy to Germany, while in Greece the number less than 40.

The program to relocate migrants landing in Greece and Italy was launched by the European Union in the wake of the 2015 migrant crisis.

The initial two-year scheme saw EU member states agree to relocate some 160,000 refugees between them from the bloc's two main points of entry by September 2017. The number was revised to just under 100,000 after officials found that fewer people were eligible under the scheme that first expected.

Although the temporary progam has since passed its deadline, the final few migrants that qualify for resettlement are still awaiting asylum.

Migrant numbers far below expectation

The EU had expected around 100,000 migrants to be resettled across its member states, with Germany slated to take in 27,000. Ultimately, though, only 33,000 took part in the scheme across EU member states.

Germany, which took in over 10,000 migrants, "resettled the most people by far," according to the Ministry.

The final part of the initial scheme will see some 3,000 African migrants who landed in Italy receive asylum to elsewhere in the EU.

However, with more migrants expected to attempt the Mediterranean crossing from Africa into Europe this summer, it remains unclear how the EU's future migration policy will look.

The notion of refugee quotas has split EU member states, with countries like Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary refusing to take in any migrants under the scheme.

This has led some officials, including EU Council President Donald Tusk, to question to the effectiveness of a quota scheme. EU Interior Ministers have set a June deadline to establish a new pan-European asylum policy.

What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland
An old factory on the outskirts of Thebes
At the premises of the old Sakiroglou textile factory, in an industrial area just outside Thebes, a new reception center for refugees and migrants with a capacity of 700 people was launched last spring. Thebes hosts mainly refugee families and unaccompanied minors who have come from the islands, primarily Lesbos. They live here in container facilities or small apartments.
What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland
The school year has started
On the day we visited the camp in Thebes, refugees and migrants were being registered for language and integration courses. Αpart from the UN refugee agency and the IOM, Greek NGOs such as ARSIS as well as international ones like Solidarity Now are active here. Doctors of the World provides primary health care. This refugee camp is also supported by the local government and the army.
What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland
Eleonas, a refugee village in Athens
After Thebes, our second stop was Eleonas in Attica, close to the center of Athens. This is the first open refugee hosting center, which began operating in 2015, when the refugee crisis reached its peak. Despite its problems, it was considered from the very beginning to be an exemplary center for Greece, unlike the first reception and accommodation centers on the Aegean islands.
What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland
Emphasis on education
Many of the refugees and migrants hosted in Eleona want to leave for Central and Northern Europe — mostly Germany. They are offered intensive English and German courses, as well as Greek courses for those who are considering staying in Greece or those who just want to feel a bit more integrated into Greek society.
What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland
Disturbing the calm waters of Kavala
The massive arrival of migrants last year at the port of Kavala rocked the quiet northern city. Many people rushed to see the newcomers. Most welcomed or simply accepted all those who fled from their homelands. This photo was taken by journalist Giorgos Karanikas.
What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland
Volunteers and municipal workers at Kavala's refugee camp
According to the volunteers and residents of the city, the majority of people have no problem with the refugees and migrants hosted in the former military camp, not far from the city center. Most people who work here want to help. Despina Tsolakidou and Evi Drakonti are two of them.
What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland
Ioannina: An old οrphanage turns into a refugee center
The former children's institution of Aghia Eleni, created shortly after the Second World War by Queen Frideriki, has been transformed into new accommodation for refugees and migrants. Mostly families are hosted here, waiting for their reunification applications to be processed. Until then, they are preparing for the cold winter.
What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland
The teacher from Aleppo
Every single person at the refugee camps has his or her own story, anxieties and journey through the war zones of Syria, the mountains of Turkey, or the turbulent waters of the Aegean. Amsa was a high school teacher from Aleppo. A bomb killed her daughter. She is stranded in Greece waiting for her family reunification application to be accepted. Meanwhile, she teaches Arabic to volunteers.
What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland
Konitsa, the small city that never forgets
Even Konitsa, at the Greek-Albanian border, offers accommodation to refugees mainly from Syria. Most of them told DW that they feel safe and welcome here. Konitsa Mayor Andreas Papaspyrou told us that the city itself has a refugee past. In the early 1920's, Greek Orthodox refugees from Asia Minor and Cappadocia found a new home here.
What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland
'We want to go to Germany'
Konitsa's accommodation center hosts approximately 80 people who belong to so-called vulnerable groups. Most of them stay here temporarily, while others already have the green light to leave Greece. The Derwish family from Qamishli, Syria left their homeland in order to secure a peaceful future for their kids. They only have one destination in mind: Germany.
Author: Dimitra Kyranoudi