Migrants on hunger strike to be reunited with families

ATHENS: A group of mainly Syrian women and children who have been stranded in Greece have pitched tents opposite parliament in Athens in a protest against delays in reuniting with relatives in Germany.

Some, who say they have been in Greece for over a year, said they had begun a hunger strike.

“Our family ties are stronger than your illegal agreements,” read a banner held up by one woman, referring to deals on refugees between EU nations.

Greek media have reported that Greece and Germany informally agreed in May to slow down refugee reunification, stranding families in Greece for months after they fled Syria’s civil war. Greece denies this.

“What we’ve managed to do on family reunification is to have an increase of about 27% this year compared with last year, even though we’re accused of cutting back family reunification and doing deals to cut back family reunification,” Migration Minister Yannis Mouzalas told reporters.

Mouzalas said Greece had assurances from Germany that refugees whose applications have been accepted will eventually go to Germany, even if there are delays.

He denied that refugees had to pay for their flights.

Applications for asylum, reunification and relocation to other European countries can take months to be processed.

About 60 000 refugees and migrants – mostly Syrians, Afghans and Iraqis – have been stranded in Greece after border closures in the Balkans halted the onwards journey many planned to take to central and western Europe.