By: V4 Agency
After Greece has decided to designate Turkey as a safe country, migrants coming via Turkey can no longer apply for asylum in Greece automatically.
After considering a recent report by the Asylum Service, Greek authorities have decided that Turkey meets all the criteria to be listed a safe country.
Perhaps this is the most important legal change to Greece’s migration laws for many years, Greek City Times writes, adding that it practically implies that Turkey should take charge of asylum procedures for migrants coming from Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Somalia.
“The designation of Turkey as a safe third country is an important step in tackling illegal immigration flows and the criminal activity of smuggling networks,” Immigration and Asylum Minister Notis Mitarakis has said.
As part of the new decision’s anticipated side-effects, illegal migrants are likely to start warning their compatriots that Greece no longer serves as a safe corridor to Europe, according to sources close to the asylum ministry.