Zeuxis ngo organised an Event titled ‘’Safe Areas for Unaccompanied Migrant Children (Samos, Leros, Chios and Kos islands)” in Athens on Tuesday 26 November.

During the event, the results of the project by the same title were presented. Also, in view of the implementation of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, a discussion on challenges and opportunities regarding protection of vulnerable people at the border was held.

Zeuxis' director Panagiotis Nikas' welcome was followed by a greeting from the Deputy Minister of Migration and Asylum Mrs. Sofia Voultepsi  who presented the Ministry's work for Unaccompanied Children. Then, the ambassador of Switzerland in Greece, Mr. Stefan Estermann took the floor and welcomed the outcome of the project, He stressed Switzerland's committment to continue supporting National Authorities in their efforts to strengthen protection of vulnerable people.
During the event, Mrs. Bahtiyar Karaahmed, a State Expert from Bulgaria (State Agency for Refugees) presented Bulgaria's work for the first reception and integration of Unaccompanied Minors in the country.

The program of the event included three panels in which experts from the ministry, international organisations and NGOs discussed the Pact but also about the importance of multi-actor cooperation in the reception of Unaccompanied Minors.

Heracles Moskoff - sgvp participated in the main panel, presenting the important work the Secretariat has done, pioneering in protection of vulnerable people at a European level. Mrs. Monika Ekstrom, Policy Officer in DG HOME talked about the challenges posed for the Member States by the requirements of the new Pact for Asylum and Migration and Mr. Tobias Schlapfer, Head of the Swiss Contribution Office Greece and Cyprus, presented the added value of the Swiss Contribution regarding the protection of vulnerable people.

Special thanks to Andria Neokleus, executive director of ''Hope for children crc policy center'' , Ioannis Fragkoulis, director Kos RIC, Ioannis Mamakos, project coordinator MERIMNA III IOM Greece , Sotiria Kasnakoudi,  Head of Institutional Protection Unit, General Secretariat for Vulnerable Persons and Institutional Protection, Ministry of Migration and Asylum, Katerina Sokka, Head of Housing and Relocation Requests Unit, General Secretariat for Vulnerable Persons and Institutional Protection, Ministry of Migration and Asylum, Ioanna Damdouni, Legal Advisor, General Secretariat for Vulnerable Persons and Institutional Protection, Ministry of Migration and Asylum and to all the great people working in ZEUXIS making all this possible!

The program has provided care and support to over 3.000 Unaccompanied Minor Children in the first 10 months of its implementation and is aligned with most of the requirements for increased protection to UMC posed by the Pact.