Greece under major strain as migrant compromise takes effect

Authorities in Greece are struggling to put in place infrastructure to implement the deal signed by EU leaders and Turkey in Brussels to stem the flow of migrants. From today, all “irregular migrants” who arrive in Greece will be sent back to Turkey. However, the process of the ‘turn-backs’, as they are known, will not actually begin for several weeks at least. "We are talking days in terms of the legal procedures. We have to make many legislation arrangements and then we have to make the infrastructure and that is a matter of weeks, not months,“ said Giorgos Kyritsis, an official with the Greek government.

If we had to do it today, we wouldn’t be able to do it. There are things that have to be done before we are ready to implement a deal like this.

Giorgos Kyritsis, Greek government official

Under the turn-back deal signed in Brussels on Friday, Turkey agreed to take back all irregular migrants who make the sea crossing to Greece. That includes refugees fleeing war. To comply with international and EU law, the deal stipulates that each person to arrive in Greece will be given an interview. If an individual chooses to claim asylum in Greece, and that claim is successful, they can stay in Greece. But if they wanted to travel further to another EU country they would be refused and turned back to Turkey. Thousands of police officers, immigration staff and appeals officials will have to be recruited to implement the new system.

We are doing our best but after six years of severe austerity, the public sector here is understaffed, under-financed, has a lot of problems but we are doing our best.

Mr Kyritsis

Greece migrants