(Kathimerini) The government wants to extend the fence on the Greek-Turkish border in Evros, recent diplomatic initiatives by Greek officials in Brussels have demonstrated. Kathimerini understands that Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis sent a letter to the European Union’s home affairs commissioner, Ylva […]
(Kathimerini) The investigation into the case of the 34-year-old Iraqi man arrested on suspicion of being a member of the Islamic State last month … has been stepped up as he has named other individuals who were involved in ISIS and who […]
(Kathimerini) French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin has praised the “Greek model” of migration control and vowed France’s support in bolstering border security when it assumes the European Union’s six-month rotating presidency on January 1. “We ask other southern EU countries to do […]
(Kathimerini) An Iraqi asylum-seeker who was arrested in Athens on Monday on suspicion of being a member of the Islamic State terror group is to be formally charged by a prosecutor on Tuesday. The 34-year-old was taken into custody in his home […]
(Kathimerini) The Council of Appeals judges in Thessaloniki on Wednesday approved the extradition of a Moroccan man to his country, where he is wanted on terrorism charges. The man, aged 28, had been sought on an international warrant issued by Moroccan authorities […]
(Kathimerini) Europe’s top human rights watchdog has lambasted Greece’s new bill aiming to regulate the deportations and returns of migrants, saying it poses serious restrictions on the activities of NGOs trying to save lives in the Aegean. “The Greek parliament should reconsider […]
(Kathimerini) The creators of the giant puppet Little Amal, which is on a 5,000-mile journey from Turkey to Britain to highlight the plight of Syrian refugees and the stories of the millions of youngsters traveling alone, cancelled the procession of the figure […]
(Kathimerini) Police were required to intervene in Larissa on Tuesday after a small group of protesters reacted angrily to the procession of a giant puppet depicting a nine-year-old refugee girl through the Thessalian capital. Little Amal is traveling 8,000 kilometers from the […]
(Kathimerini) Preparing for the possibility of migration pressure from Turkey in the coming weeks due to the developments in Afghanistan, law enforcement authorities, the coast guard and the armed forces are drafting plans to police and shield the Evros land border and […]
(Kathimerini) The Greek Foreign Ministry on Monday issued a terse response to allegations from Turkey regarding the closure of 12 minority primary schools in the northeastern province of Thrace, which Ankara claims is a violation of the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne provisions […]
(Kathimerini) A survey by the United Nations Refugee Agency among migrants and refugees residing at camps on the Aegean islands of Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Kos, Leros, Rhodes and Tilos shows that nearly half (49%) come from Afghanistan, followed by Syria (14%), Somalia […]
(Kathimerini) Police on the northern Aegean island of Lesvos said they have exposed a migrant trafficking ring that is also engaged in “espionage.” The ring allegedly comprises ten non-nationals, including four members of a non-governmental organization, namely a Norwegian, an American and […]
(Kathimerini) Greece’s foreign ministry reacted strongly Sunday to repeated statements by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu referring to a “Turkish minority” during his Sunday visit to Thrace by accusing him of repeatedly distorting reality. Cavusoglu, who has arrived in Athens, visited earlier […]
(Kathimerini) Turkey must resume the return of irregular migrants from Greece “without delay,” the European Commission’s enlargement chief, Oliver Varhelyi, said on Tuesday. “It is important for Turkey to resume returns of irregular migrants from Greece to Turkey without delay, and avoid […]
(Kathimerini) The two incidents of aggressive behavior by Turkish vessels against Frontex boats in the eastern Aegean on April 26 and 27 will be discussed at Friday’s extraordinary meeting of the European border agency’s board of directors. As Kathimerini revealed this week, […]
(Kathimerini) Greek Foreign Ministry sources on Wednesday dismissed the accusations of a Turkish government official who claimed that the country is violating the rights of its large Muslim minority, saying the community is “flourishing.” The comment came after visiting Turkish Deputy Foreign […]
(Kathimerini) Turkey has once again accused Greece of violating the rights of its Muslim minority based in the north of the country. After a visit to the port city of Thessaloniki and the northern province of Thrace during which he met with […]
(Kathimerini) “Very serious” incidents that violated international regulations reportedly took place on April 26 and 27 involving vessels of the Turkish Coast Guard and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex. Kathimerini understands that the incidents occurred off the eastern Aegean […]
(Kathimerini) As Greek authorities continue efforts to ease pressure on overcrowded migrant camps on the Aegean islands, 115 refugees [who] have been granted asylum were due to leave Lesvos on Tuesday for the mainland. The Athens-Macedonian News Agency reported that 500 refugees […]
(Kathimerini) The US State Department’s annual report on human rights violations around the world published on Tuesday has criticized Greece over unsafe and unhealthy conditions for migrants and asylum-seekers detained in pre-removal facilities or residing at the country’s six reception and identification […]
(Kathimerini) Legal procedures have been launched for the extradition to Belgium of three Iraqi nationals who were arrested in Athens last week on European arrest warrants. All three are accused of participating in a ring based in Belgium that trafficked migrants and […]
(Kathimerini) Ankara accused Athens on Tuesday of violating the rights of its Muslim minority, which it calls “Turkish,” and of pursuing policies against Turkey, saying Athens should instead “abide by international law.” In a statement issued after a three-hour meeting of Turkey’s […]
(Kathimerini) European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas on Friday briefed the committees on European affairs and public administration in the Greek Parliament on the EU’s continuing talks over the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, responding to criticism and concerns from all sides. […]
(Kathimerini) The Norwegian Embassy confirmed in a statement on Thursday that 35 asylum seekers left Athens for Oslo on Wednesday in the context of protecting vulnerable groups and supporting Greece. The 35 comprise seven families from Syria who are applying for asylum […]
(Kathimerini) A total of 116 refugees from Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq, including 30 families with children, departed from the island of Lesvos on a charter flight to Hannover in Germany on Wednesday morning. It was the first direct flight from an Aegean […]
(Kathimerini) Greece will extradite to the Netherlands a 37-year-old Syrian asylum seeker who is wanted for suspected terrorism offences, it was announced Wednesday. The man, who arrived on the island of Samos from Turkey on 4 October 2018, was arrested at a […]
(Kathimerini) Turkey condemned on Monday the comments made by Greece’s top cleric about Islam, describing them as “presumptuous” and noting that they undermine efforts to restart the exploratory bilateral talks on maritime sovereignty which are scheduled to start later in January. “We […]
(Kathimerini) Greece has submitted a request to the European Commission and the EU’s border agency Frontex, for the immediate return of 1,450 migrants whose asylum requests have been rejected, the country’s Migration Ministry announced on Thursday. From the 1,450 individuals that entered […]
(Kathimerini) A Greek court rejected on Wednesday an extradition request by Tajikistan against a 27-year-old national who is wanted on an international arrest warrant for his alleged ties to the ISIS terrorist group. The members of the Board of Appeals in the […]
(Kathimerini) The 27-year-old from Syria who allegedly confessed to police that he was a member of ISIS will appear before an investigative magistrate after asking for a deferral on Monday. He appeared in court on Monday morning wearing a bulletproof vest and […]
(Kathimerini) A 27-year-old Syrian man suspected of being a member of the Islamic State terrorist organization is due to testify to an Athens magistrate Monday, following his arrest in the Greek capital last Thursday. The unnamed suspect entered Greece in March 2018 […]
(Kathimerini) Prompted by the recent attacks in Paris and Nice, Greece and France have agreed to boost intelligence sharing on known or suspected terrorists, Kathimerini understands. According to sources, the two sides will build a task force to monitor suspected extremists from […]
(Kathimerini) An inquiry by Greek authorities refutes claims that Hezbollah has stashes of ammonium nitrate in several European countries including Greece, sources tell Kathimerini. The probe by the National Intelligence Service, the Citizens’ Protection Ministry and the Hellenic Police has not turned […]
(Kathimerini) Authorities on Crete have arrested a suspected member of the Islamic State (ISIS), Kathimerini reports. The suspect, identified as a 27-year-old British national of Jordanian origin, had been banned from entering Greece on the grounds of national security. The ban was […]
(Kathimerini) Greece and Turkey exchanged criticisms over minority rights on Wednesday with Athens saying that it is “paradoxical, if not funny” for Turkey to lecture Greece about the need to respect minority rights. “History will forever be the most objective witness to […]
(Kathimerini) Athens on Tuesday rebuffed comments by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu who referred to the Muslim minority in Western Thrace as a “Turkish minority.” “In Greece, which is the historical cradle of democracy but also a modern European democratic state, there […]
(Kathimerini) Turkey’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hami Aksoy has accused Greece of “inhumane practices” against Turkish minorities and of “taking sides” with “hostile circles against Turkey.” Reportedly responding to comments made by Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos on the Armenian Genocide during a recent […]
(Kathimerini) Greece’s top administrative court on Friday rejected as unfounded an appeal by two Muslim religious leaders from northern Greece against their compulsory retirement last year. The case refers to a law presented by the ministry of education and approved by Parliament […]
(Kathimerini) Greece on Saturday rejected Turkish accusations that Muslim religious leaders will be under the control of a newly established government body, saying there are no such plans and called for an end to interventions in the country’s domestic affairs. The Greek […]
(Kathimerini) Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has criticized Greece of failing to uphold the rights of its Muslim minority in Western Thrace and of forbidding its members to call themselves “Turks.” He was speaking after the 54th meeting of the European Union-Turkey […]
(Kathimerini) The Justice Ministry on Thursday responded to a ruling against Greece by the European Court of Human Rights over an inheritance dispute, saying the case predates a change in laws adopted in 2018. “Those who try to distort the European court’s […]
(Kathimerini) The lawyers of two Muslim religious leaders (muftis) said on Friday they plan to appeal to European Union judicial bodies against a provision voted through the Greek Parliament last month that stipulates their retirement. The August provision states that muftis in […]
(Katherimini) Turkey has called on Greece to “re-examine” a provision voted through Parliament last month that stipulates Muslim religious leaders (muftis) in the Greek border region of Western Thrace must retire at the age of 67. Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy […]
(Kathimerini) The coalition is, according to sources, poised to push through the retirement of two government-appointed muftis in the Greek border region of Western Thrace. Muftis are Muslim legal experts who are empowered to give rulings on religious matters. Turkey has in […]
(Kathimerini) Turkey criticized Greece on Thursday over a Greek appeals court decision to reject an application by the Turkish Union of Xanthi to register as a local association, due to the use of the word “Turkish.” The Union had appealed to the […]
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