20 August 2020

PRESS RELEASE

President of the Hellenic Republic and Minister of Migration and Asylum visit Moria Safe Area for unaccompanied children.

IOM supports the Greek Authorities through the provision of services to 337 children.

The President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou and the Minister of Migration and Asylum, Notis Mitarachi visited today (20/08) the Safe Area of Moria Reception and Identification Center (RIC), where 74 unaccompanied migrant children are currently accommodated.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), with the funding of the European Commission and in collaboration with NGO ILiaktida AMKE, is assisting the Greek Authorities through the improvement of living conditions of unaccompanied children hosted in the safe area in Moria RIC.

From March 2019 up to June 2020, 337 unaccompanied children have been hosted in the Safe Area of Moria. IOM in collaboration with Iliaktida AMKE through specialized staff, including field coordinators, psychologists, case workers and interpreters, are providing assistance on a 24/7 basis; children remain in the safe area until when referrals to long – term or temporary accommodation facilities are organized with the Reception and Identification Service.

IOM, under the framework of EU funded project MERIMNA is present at five safe areas on the islands of Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Leros and Kos. Throughout the project implementation period since March 2019, a total of 1,117 unaccompanied children have been accommodated in the five safe areas, among them 876 boys and 241 girls. The majority of the children came from Afghanistan, Syria, Democratic Republic of Congo and Egypt.

Among the different activities, 4,467 non – food items, including clothes, shoes and linen, have been distributed to children living in the 5 safe areas in combination with 1,008 personal hygiene kits.

IOM implements project MERIMNA, with the support of DG HOME and in partnership with UNICEF, Iliaktida AMKE, Metadrasi and Zeuxis. All MERIMNA activities are closely coordinated with the Special Secretary for the protection of unaccompanied migrant children, Eirini Agapidaki and the Asylum Seekers Reception General Secretary, Manos Logothetis.

For more information, please contact with:

Christine Nikolaidou - IOM Greece, Email: cnikolaidou@iom.int tel +30 210 9919 040 (ext.248)