The Dutch contribution to the mechanism will be several million euros lower thanks to these agreements. Further negotiations with the European Commission will take place in the coming period. This way, the Netherlands is compensated for asylum requests handled in the Netherlands that should have been handled by Greece.
For some time, it has not been possible for the Netherlands to return asylum seekers to Greece under the Dublin Regulation. Greece has made significant progress in recent years, partly thanks to Dutch investments, to improve the asylum and reception situation in the country. With the implementation of the Pact, it has been agreed to restart returning asylum seekers to Greece under the Dublin Regulation. The legal steps for this are being prepared.
During his visit to Greece, the minister will also visit a shelter for young Greek status holders funded by the Netherlands. Additionally, he will visit the Evros border region, meet with staff from the European border agency Frontex, and visit the registration and reception center Fylakio to see firsthand how Greece is preparing for the new border procedure under the Pact.
Minister Van Weel: “Greece is an important partner and plays a key role at Europes external border. Therefore, it is good to further strengthen migration cooperation. It is crucial that the implementation of the Asylum and Migration Pact is also properly carried out here. The external borders belong to all of us. What happens here also affects us in the Netherlands.”