The next step in Greek-Dutch cooperation: guardianship action plan signed

Minister for Migration Broekers-Knol, Greek Minister for Migration Mitarakis and Deputy Minister for Migration Sofia Voultepsi signed the guardianship action plan today. The plan is an important part of cooperation between the Netherlands and Greece to improve the protection of unaccompanied minor foreign nationals ; it will ensure the Netherlands continues to contribute to the aid provided in Greece.

Dutch expertise

The action plan sets out the agreements made about the support the Netherlands will offer Greece via a guardianship programme when establishing and strengthening the Greek guardianship system. For example, the agreement to develop a training programme for guardians. The expertise of the Dutch Nidos Foundation – which is responsible for the guardianship of unaccompanied minor foreign nationals in the Netherlands – will be used to ensure the successful achievement of this agreement. A guardian protects and takes care of minors during and after the asylum procedure, which is crucial to the unaccompanied minors in question. Now the action plan has been signed, the implementation phase can start.

Reception facilities

The guardianship programme is part of broader cooperation between the Netherlands and Greece that started in July 2020. Another part of this broader cooperation relates to the provision of reception facilities to unaccompanied minor foreign nationals on the Greek mainland. The Netherlands has funded three shelters with space for a total of 48 minors. Here, they will receive psychosocial care, education, health care, legal assistance and other forms of assistance necessary to ensure their well-being and development. Approximately 100 unaccompanied minor foreign nationals have already been accommodated in the shelters.