Greece Sends 28 More Ailing Migrant Children to Germany

World

August 26th, 11:23am

Asharq Al-Awsat

A general view of the Hellenic Petroleum refineries at Aspropyrgos town, west of Athens, February 24, 2012. REUTERS/John Kolesidis/File Photo

Another group of children with medical needs who have been living in migrant camps in Greece arrived in Germany on Wednesday with their close relatives, a transfer that was delayed by coronavirus cases in two families, the German government said. In all, 121 people were on board the flight that landed in Hannover, the interior ministry said, including 28 children. The flight was originally planned for Aug. 13, but had to be delayed because of positive tests for COVID-19. It went ahead after the people infected completed their quarantines and tested negative. The transfer was part of a wider European effort to get hundreds of vulnerable children out of camps on the Greek islands. Two previous transfers of ailing children to Germany took place in July. Germany has agreed to take in a total of 243 children "who need medical treatment" from Greece, as well their closest relatives, 928 people in all. So far, 68 of the children have arrived. It also has taken in 53 unaccompanied children evacuated from the overcrowded Greek camps. Children also have been transferred to Luxembourg, Ireland, Portugal, Finland, Belgium, and France, according to the German interior ministry.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2470716/greece-sends-28-more-ailing-migrant-children-germany