EU rolls out new plan to resettle 50,000 refugees in two years

The European Commission rolled out a new scheme on Wednesday to bring at least 50,000 refugees to Europe over the next two years, in a bid to curb illegal human smuggling in the Mediterranean.

EU Launches New Aid Scheme for Greece to Help Refugees with Rent, Cash

The European Commission offered 209 million euros ($245 million) in new emergency aid for Greece on Thursday to help refugees stranded in the country rent homes and pay for basics with a cash card.

EU urges member states to adopt relocation obligations

The European Commission has threatened Wednesday the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland with legal suits should they not implement the EU migrant relocation measures.

EU official: we can make members accept refugees

The European Union's commissioner for migration says there are ways to make all EU members states comply with the program of relocation of migrants among them.

New EU migration plan meets with mixed support

The Members of European Parliament (MEPs) gathered for a plenary session Tuesday to debate on the "New Migration Partnership Framework" proposed by Brussels and based on reinforced cooperation with third countries.

EU says relocation of asylum seekers remains unsatisfactory

The European Commission here on Wednesday adopted its latest progress report on the European Union (EU)'s emergency relocation and resettlement schemes, saying the progress on the relocation and resettlement of refugees remained unsatisfactory.

EU ministers agree on border force proposal to tackle migrant crisis

EU interior ministers formally agreed Thursday on a proposal for a new border and coastguard force that could intervene in under-pressure countries like Greece to slow the influx of migrants.

EU migration system could 'completely break down' in 10 days. - Migration Commissioner

The EU has until a March 7 summit with Turkey to curb the number of migrants coming to Europe or else the bloc's migration system could "completely break down", migration commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said Thursday.

EU migration chief, Dimitris Avramopoulos, says refugee response is not working

The European Union's top migration official says efforts to manage the refugee emergency are not working and that more countries are tightening border security to cope with the influx.

Hungarian FM calls intl response to tear-gas 'bizarre'. -- EU had to put together a force to defend Greece's borders

Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto on Thursday called the international political and media response to the tear gas and water cannon used by police to quell refugee unrest "bizarre and shocking".

Greece announces immediate plan to address refugee crisis

The need for support and solidarity towards Greece over the critical refugee issue that has taken uncontrollable dimensions was highlighted by Vice President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans and EU Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos during their visit here on Thursday.

European Commission Earmarks $650Mln to Resolve UK, France Migration Crisis

Announcing the disbursement of its first $21 million to France and the $29-million pre-financing to the UK on Tuesday, Avramopoulos said he welcomed “strong cooperation between both countries on this issue.”

New European Agenda on Migration divides EU. --"Our immediate neighborhood is ablaze..." (Dimitris Avramopoulos)

Members of European Parliament (MEPs) debated on Wednesday the new European Agenda on Migration proposed by the European Commission (EC).

Mediterranean tragedies: EU ministers agree on 10-point plan on migration

European Union foreign and interior ministers agreed on April 20 to a 10-point plan in response to the crisis in the Mediterranean, which has seen a succession of tragedies with crossing attempts by migrant boats from Africa ending in several hundred drownings.

EU to tighten border checks to attempt to detect Syria fighters

European countries will carry out by June deeper checks on EU citizens entering the passport-free Schengen area, based on a set of "common risk indicators" aimed at singling out fighters returning from war zones and other dangerous people.

Statement by Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos on the smuggling of migrants in cargo ships (EC - 02.01.15)

From the Official Website of the European Commission: -With regard to the recent events of the smuggling of migrants in the Ezadeen and Blue Sky M cargo ships to Italy, Dimitris Avramopoulos, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, made the following statement:

Opening Statement by Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos during the European Parliament plenary debate on Migration

Speech from the Official Website of the European Commission, 25.11.14:
"Mr. President, Honourable Members of the European Parliament,
Migration was always part of the “Home Affairs” portfolio but was never before on the title. Now it is. For symbolic but also for pragmatic reasons.

Chinese evacuees from Libya arrive in Greece / Συγχαρητήρια ΥΕΘΑ Δημήτρη Αβραμόπουλου στα στελέχη του ΠΝ που συμμετείχαν στην επιχείρηση ΑΓΗΝΩΡ

ATHENS, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- A Greek warship carrying 187 people, including 79 Chinese nationals, from violence-wracked Libya reached the Greek port of Piraeus on Saturday.

The "Salamis" frigate sailed off Libya's capital of Tripoli on Thursday to evacuate Greek diplomats and citizens living in Libya, as well as foreign nationals upon request by foreign governments.

Statements by the Minister of National Defence Dimitris Avramopoulos and Israel’s Minister of FA Avigdor Liberman after their meeting at the MoND

Hellenic MOD, 21/3/14
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D.AVRAMOPOULOS: I had the pleasure to meet today, here at the Ministry of National Defense, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel, an old colleague and always friend of mine, Mr. Avigdor Lieberman, who pays an official visit to our country.

With Mr. Lieberman, we know each other since his first mandate as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel and we met several times then. I remind our meeting in New York, in the framework of the United Nations General Assembly, and after some time, we met again in Israel.

Hellenic MOD: Completion of Defence Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos' official visit to Israel

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The Minister of National Defence Dimitris Avramopoulos paid an official visit to Israel. This visit concluded the Greek-Israeli ministerial meeting which took place on October 8, 2013 and was not attended by the Defence Ministers of the two countries, since the Israeli Minister was in a scheduled visit abroad. Moreover, the visit that Ehud Barak as Israel’s Defence Minister paid to Greece two years ago was reciprocated.