Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of the recommendation of the #CitiesMustAct campaign to relocate asylum seekers and refugees from the Aegean hotspot camps to ares where local leaders have pledged to provide asylum.

The UK-Greece Action Plan aims to improve overall management of irregular migration in the Eastern Mediterranean. It is focused on tackling organised immigration crime, improving asylum and returns processes in line with international law and ensuring ongoing cooperation on search and rescue in the Aegean through continued deployment of a UK vessel to save lives.

Stemming from the Action Plan the UK and Greece will establish a strategic migration dialogue to monitor the effectiveness of our joint initiatives. Additionally, in the light of our strong bilateral relationship with the Greek

Government, where necessary and appropriate, the UK will raise the issue of conditions for migrants in Greece

Under normal circumstances the Greek Government transfer the most vulnerable migrants to the mainland where necessary; this has ceased due to COVID-19. Instead, Greece is transferring nearly 2,000 high-risk persons (elderly, serious medical cases and their families) to more suitable accommodation within the islands. The Greek response to COVID-19 has been effective and so far there are no reported cases within the migrant camps on the Greek islands.