A reunification flight left Athens today bringing 52 vulnerable migrants, including several minors, to the UK
The flight is the result of a relentless campaign by refugee families in the UK, the group Safe Passage and the peer Alf Dubs. It was organised through the joint collaboration of the UK and Greek governments after direct flights between Greece and the UK were suspended in March in a bid to stop the spread of Covid-19. After numerous requests, extraordinary measures taken by the Home Office and the Greek government have enabled the flight to take place.
Those on the flight include refugees from Syria, Somalia and Afghanistan many of whom have been in limbo in Greece for months. The return flight will allow Greeks stranded in the UK to return home.
While the success of the scheme was lauded, it was still felt that the UK could be doing more to assist the vulnerable in the camps, particularly children stranded in Greece, under the Dublin III Regulation. The Home Office was recently criticised for refusing to accept unaccompanied minors from the overcrowded camps. In April, Germany and Luxembourg took 49 and 12 unaccompanied child refugees respectively.
