Some 269 Afghani nationals arrived in Athens today - mostly judicial officials - as part of commitments made by Greece and other EU member states to provide humanitarian assistance to at-risk Afghans.
According to an announcement of the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum, another flight with 98 people is expected to also arrive, bringing the number of Afghan nationals offered temporary stay in Greece to 367.
The Afghani nationals were welcomed at Athens International Airport by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Themistoklis Demiris, the Secretary General of Immigration Policy, Patroklos Georgiadis, the Deputy Governor of the Asylum Service, Ioannis Sfyrakis and the Director of the Asylum Service, Evangelia Ktistaki.
All of them underwent Covid-19 rapid tests, recorded and transported to accommodation. The transfer to the apartments was carried out with the assistance of the International Organisation for Migration, while their safe passage was carried out in co-operation with the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
