Greece: Norway should pay the costs

Asylum seekers waiting to be handed in his application for asylum in Athens. Photo: THAN Assis STAVRAKIS / AP

Norway and other European countries should be paying the costs, if they continue to send asylum seekers back to Greece, said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Greece.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Greece, Georgios Tsarbopoulos said that Norway and other European countries should be paying the costs of refugees to Greece.

“Other countries should cooperate and contribute – not only expertise, but also with funding,” said Tsabopolous.

The huge influx of refugees in Greece is because most asylum seekers come first to Greece before traveling on to other European countries. Since they first applied for asylum in Greece, they are sent back there to get an application.

Norway alone can not help

State Secretary in the Ministry of Justice Pal Lønseth believe that Norway alone can not help Greece.

“If Norway alone did anything for Greece, so Greece will help very little,” said Lønseth who believe that Europe should jointly contribute financial support to Greece.

“It is only in this way we can get a proper solution to this,” he adds.

Greece already gets EU funds to cope with the large refugee flow. Yet no country can afford to take care of all asylum seekers to the country. Greek authorities said to NRK.

The country is already afraid about the financial crisis and is struggling with severe economic problems.

Source: NRK