Migrants stranded in Greece by Covid-19 fly to UK

A group of 50 refugees and asylum seekers flew from Greece to Britain on Monday to reunite with relatives in a transfer that had been held up by the coronavirus lockdown.

The group includes 16 unaccompanied minors, Greek migration ministry officials said. Some 130 Greek nationals stranded in the UK because of the COVID-19 lockdown will be repatriated on the return flight, the ministry said.

Greece hopes to gradually relocate around 1,600 vulnerable persons from its refugee camps to other countries in coming months.

Monday’s group were relocated under the Dublin Treaty, an accord facilitating family reunifications if a close relative is already in the country of destination.

The transfer had been planned for March but was put on hold because of the lockdown introduced to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. In Greece, restrictions were partly eased on May 4.

Via Reuters