Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they (1) currently, and (2) intend to, provide to refugees in Greece; and what assessment they have made of the impact that (a) their, and (b) EU, aid is having, in particular in campsĀ on the islands and mainland.
The British Government remains committed to supporting Greece's efforts to manage migration effectively and is working with the Greek Government to this end. We hope to sign shortly a UK-Greece Migration Action Plan which will set out the framework for future bilateral co-operation on migration. Currently the United Kingdom is providing interpreters in the camps, helping to identify migrants and ensuring they get the help they need as quickly as possible. The United Kingdom provides financial support to the Metadrasi children's shelter on Samos, which provides a safe place to stay and professional support to the most vulnerable unaccompanied children who arrive on Samos. The DUBS scheme is continuing for the transfer of the most vulnerable unaccompanied children to the United Kingdom. The scheme aims to help provide support to the most vulnerable migrants, and alleviate pressures on the islands. The United Kingdom also continues to support search and rescue operations in the Aegean, with United Kingdom vessels rescuing 16000 migrants since 2015. The EU is continuing to work with the Greek authorities to improve migration management processes.