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Thoughts on Migration
Reflections about Greece’s approach to the migrants crisis
by Maria Roidi
Greece has a new center-right government since the sum mer of 2019. Its approach to im-
migration is quite different from that of its predecessors, with more measures and restrictions being taken for asylum seekers. The government claims that this will make the system more efficient but some organizations do not seem convinced.
Until the summer of 2019, the Greek refugee reception centers were under the management of the Ministry of Immigration. On July 8, 2019, the newly elected government decided to transfer the responsibility of the centers to the Ministry of Citizen Protection - which is responsible for Greece’s public security services.
Compared to the government of Alexis Tsipras, the new government has taken a tougher line on immigration, denouncing its predecessors for the mistreatment of the refugee crisis and the abandonment of people in inhumane conditions in overcrowded refugee camps. In addition, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) has launched
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