(AP) Greece is abolishing the practice of holding asylum-seeker children and teenagers who arrive in the country without parents or guardians in protective police custody, the migration minister said Wednesday.
The practice, which saw newly arrived unaccompanied minors held in police stations across the country sometimes for months at a time and often along with unrelated adults, has been widely condemned by rights groups. It has also led to judgments against Greece by the European Court of Human Rights.
Migration and Asylum Minister Notis Mitarachi said Wednesday that as of Nov. 14, no unaccompanied asylum-seeker teenagers and children remained in police custody.
“We will move with legislative changes to stop the scheme of unaccompanied minors being kept in police custody, a system that started in 2001,” he said.
