Greece will be able to process asylum claims within two weeks, including appeals, once a migration deal between the European Union and Turkey is implemented said Alternate Minister of National Defense Dimitris Vitsas on Tuesday.
The Greek official is coordinator of Greece’s management of the refugee flow. Vitsas said that, “Asylum requests will have to be examined within a week – and there is international help for this purpose – and administrative appeals will be examined within another week.”
Vitsas spoke on Star television TV and stated that a refugee bill will be submitted in parliament on Wednesday.
The measure comes in response to protests by human rights groups claiming deficiencies and delays in Greece’s asylum granting process. Even when a request has been submitted, the application process can take months before a decision is made.
EU will provide an additional 4,000 security personnel and asylum experts who will be deployed to registration centers (hotspots) on the five Aegean islands close to Turkey, namely Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Leros.
Frontex will be in charge of the returns
The Greek minister said that migrants who entered the country after the EU migration deal with Turkey began to take effect on March 20, and whose asylum applications are not accepted, will be returned to Turkey on six ships chartered by EU border agency Frontex.
Out of the approximately 50,000 refugees and migrants currently in Greece, about 20,000 of them will remain in the country for an unspecified period of time, if all works as planned. Greece can manage that number with ease, Vitsas said. He also added that the EU-Turkey deal will be fully implemented as of April 4.
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