The Ministry of Migration and Asylum[1] is the official government body that oversees migration and asylum policy issues in Greece. It also contributes and implements European policies on Migration.[2] It collaborates with the European Union Agency for Asylum,[3] the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations. It receives funding from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund,[4] the Internal Security Fund[5] and the European Recovery and Resilience Fund.[6] The Ministry of Migration and Asylum was established in January 15, 2020. The Ministry of Migration Policy, established in 2016, was abolished on July 8, 2019.
Dimitris Kairidis is the Minister of Migration and Asylum and Sofia Voultepsi is the Deputy Minister responsible for issues of social integration[7]
Administrative Services
Secretariat-General of Migration Policy
The General Secretariat of Migration Policy was established in 2010 with Article 1 of the Presidential Decree 11/2010 (16.02.10 Α’15). Following a series of administrative changes, the Secretariat was re-established in 2020 with the Presidential Decree 18/2020 (Α34).The General Secretariat participates in the planning and implementation of national and European policies for migration,[8] oversees international protection policies[9] by examining asylum applications, and promotes the social integration of third-country nationals in Greece.
According to the Presidential Decree 106/2020, the Secretariat-General of Migration Policy oversees the Directorate-General of Migration Policy, the Appeals Authority, Directorate–General for the Coordination and Management of Migration and Home Affairs Funds[4] and the Asylum Service
Secretariat-General for Reception of Asylum Seekers
The Secretariat-General for Reception of Asylum Seekers was established by the first article of the Presidential Decree 18/2020 (Government Gazette 34/Issue Α’/19-02-2020). The Reception and Identification Service (previously named First Reception Service according to Law 3907/2011) was established with Law Ν.4375/2016 (Government Gazette 51/Issue Α’/ 03-04-2016) and operates under the Secretariat-General for Reception of Asylum Seekers. The Reception and Identification Service is responsible for the reception and identification procedures for third-country nationals[10] who enter Greece without the lawful requirements.
Secreteriat-General for Vulneralbe Individuals & Institutional Protection
The Secretariat Special for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors was established in paragraph 3 of the first article of the Presidential Decree 18/2020. It operates according to Articles 35 and 42 of Law 4622/2019 and reports to the Deputy Minister of Migration and Asylum. Its mission was to plan, implement and supervise the National Strategy in Greece for the protection of unaccompanied minors. On June 27, 2023, with Presidential Decree 77/2023, the Secreteriat-General for Vulnerable Individuals & Institutional Protection was established, which took on all the responsibilities of the Secretariat Special for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors.
