Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help support children living in refugee camps in Greece during the covid-19 pandemic.

The Greek Government is responsible for supporting migrants on arrival in Greece, including unaccompanied minors. The United Kingdom has provided bilateral support to Greece, including provision of funding for humanitarian supplies and, in 2019, funding a shelter for unaccompanied children who arrive in Samos. The UK and Greece signed an action plan on migration on 22 April which reaffirms our commitment to continued cooperation to tackle the challenges posed by irregular migration.

We recognise the challenge faced by Greece in dealing with increased migrant flows, and are also concerned about the condition of migrant camps on the Greek islands. We understand that the Greek Government are implementing a series of steps to seek to address the risk of coronavirus in the migrant camps including the strengthening of health facilities and measures that reduce the need for travel. We continue to monitor the situation via our Embassy in Athens very closely.