Europe

Europe

Greece to send back refugees not granted asylum

10 December 2015 22:25 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The Greek government says it will deport economic refugees stuck at the country’s border with Macedonia if they fail to qualify for asylum, APA reports quoting Press TV.

“Those without papers, the so-called illegal refugees, have the right to request asylum (or) the right to voluntary repatriation,” Greek Minister for Migration Affairs Yiannis Mouzalas said on Thursday, adding, “If they do not request either within 30 days, they will be returned to their countries of origin.”

The announcement came a day after Greece also removed some 2,300 African refugees from its border with Macedonia, where they had been stranded for days after the neighboring country denied them entry.

Macedonia in late November erected a metal fence on its southern border with Greece to block the entry of asylum seekers, leaving hundreds trapped on the Greek side of the border.