During a recent two-day visit to Athens, Amy Pope, Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), expressed strong support for a new agreement aimed at better protecting migrants in Greece. This significant Host Country Agreement, signed with the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ensures that the IOM can continue offering essential services to migrants. These services include life-saving protection, healthcare, mental health support, and pathways for regular migration, integration, relocation, and voluntary returns.
Amy Pope emphasized the importance of this new agreement, calling it a landmark in the IOM’s 72-year partnership with Greece. She highlighted Greece’s crucial role in managing migration in Europe, especially over the past decade. Pope stated that the IOM is committed to helping migrants in Greece rebuild their lives or safely return home.
During her visit, Pope toured a reception facility for asylum seekers in Schisto, located 15 kilometers from Athens. This facility was established following the refugee crisis of 2015-2016 and initially housed mainly Afghan families. Accompanied by the Greek Minister of Migration and Asylum, Nikos Panagiotopoulos, and the Deputy Minister for Integration, Sofia Voultepsi, Pope spoke with some of the 700 migrants living there. She listened to their hopes and aspirations, calling the experience humbling and vital for understanding their needs.
The IOM collaborates closely with the Greek government at this facility to help migrants integrate into everyday Greek life. The organization provides vocational training for industries in need of workers, along with Greek language lessons and education on Greek social and cultural life. Pope praised Greece’s initiative to establish a protective network for unaccompanied children, which includes shelters offering 24/7 assistance as part of the National Emergency Response Mechanism.
Additionally, the IOM runs the Hellenic Integration Support for Beneficiaries of International Protection (HELIOS) program, launched in 2019. Initially funded by the European Commission and now by the Greek migration ministry, HELIOS has supported over 23,000 people with Greek language classes, accommodation, and job market access, including job counseling and career events.
Since 2010, the IOM office in Greece has also implemented assisted voluntary return and reintegration programs for migrants wishing to return home. More than 60,000 people have been assisted in returning to their countries of origin, receiving reintegration support upon arrival. Pope also met with the President of the Greek National Human Rights Institution and thanked IOM staff for their dedication and hard work in supporting migrants and host communities.