Greece’s Alternate Minister of Migration and Asylum Giorgos Koumoutsakos announced that 750 asylum seekers will be relocated to France, following an agreement made in January this year with French Minister of State for the Interior Laurent Nunez.
The decision was announced on Monday in Athens following a meeting between Mr Koumoutsakos and French Ambassador to Greece Patrick Maisonnave.
Among the 750 people to be relocated are 350 unaccompanied minors, of which the first group of is scheduled to depart Greece in July, according to a ministry announcement.
The relocation had been scheduled for earlier in the year but due to the coronavirus outbreak, all asylum application processing was temporarily halted. This will resume as soon as possible, Koumoutsakos and Maisonnave said on Wednesday.
The French ambassador also confirmed his country's intention to increase its participation in Frontex EU border force missions to Greece.
Both officials also emphasised the significance of collaborating on flights with France to return those whose asylum applications are rejected to their home countries in Africa.
