In a move decried by human rights groups, EU states will send back asylum seekers who first sought refuge in Greece, despite the nation being enmeshed in its worst economic crisis in modern times. The UK, France, the Netherlands and Norway have also asked that asylum seekers be returned to Greece. Resettlement will not affect asylum seekers who arrived in the EU before March this year. In 2011, returns of refugees to Greece were suspended after the European court of human rights intervened citing harsh conditions and poor treatment by Greek authorities. In June 2015 the European council agreed to relocate more than 66,000 asylum seekers from Greece and Italy to other EU member states.

Source: The Guardian August 25, 2017 03:56 UTC