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Greece to speed up refugee asylum process

Greece will speed up its refugee asylum process, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in an interview on Thursday, as concerns grow over a recent rise in migrant arrivals from Turkey.
“We are going to change our national policy on asylum, greatly simplifying the administrative procedure by speeding up decision-making,” the new conservative PM told France’s Le Figaro daily ahead of a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.
“Those who obtain (asylum) obviously have the right to stay in Greece, while those who are not eligible will have to return to Turkey, as specified under the EU-Turkey accord,” he said.
The PM noted that Greece would change its rules in the hope that eventually the EU will forge a common approach to asylum regulations.
Earlier in August, Mitsotakis’ migration policy minister, Giorgos Koumoutsakos, said arrivals had increased by 17 percent in recent weeks -- when arrivals typically peak.
He said more than 20,000 refugees and migrants were sheltering on the islands of Lesbos, Samos, Chios, Kos and Leros -- all a short distance from Turkey’s shores.
Lesbos alone, the main port of arrival during the 2015 migrant crisis, saw an increase of 44 percent compared with the same period last year, the minister said.
He added that Greece had “exhausted its capacity on this issue (and) is looking forward to efficient cooperation with the European Commission and the member states.”
Thousands of migrants and refugees spend months in dismal island camps before their applications can be processed.
Greek officials say this is partly because of the sheer number of applications and appeals by economic migrants without credible claims to refugee status.
In 2018, more applications were submitted on Lesbos and Samos than in Austria and Finland respectively, Koumoutsakos noted, adding that during the first half of this year alone, there had been 30,500 new applications.
AFP
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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