Greece discusses refugee challenge with EU official ahead of informal EU Summit

ATHENS - The Greek government discussed on Wednesday the management of the refugee challenge with visiting European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos ahead of an informal EU Summit which will be hosted in Salzburg, Austria, on Thursday.

Issues related with the management of refugee flows in the coming period, the 2016 EU-Turkey Statement and coordination between Greek authorities handling migration and the European Commission were on the agenda, according to a statement issued by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' office after the talks.

Migration is a European problem and must be tackled by Europe on the basis of solidarity and fair sharing of responsibilities, with respect for International Law, Tsipras will underline at Salzburg, Greek national news agency AMNA reported, citing government sources.

The same sources said that Tsipras will highlight the need for Europe to provide a comprehensive solution to the problem.

The prime minister is expected to point out among others the need for a rapid upgrading of the European asylum service to speed up the examination of applications, as well as the need to address the root causes of migration and provide substantial, developmental support for countries of origin in Asia and Africa.

Greece has been at the front of the refugee, migrant crisis since early 2015. More than 1 million people have landed on Greek shores and continued their journey to central and northern Europe until the closure of borders in the Balkan route in March 2016.

Although arrivals have been reduced since then following the EU-Turkey agreement to stem the influx, still dozens of people each day keep risking their lives to cross the Aegean Sea from the Turkish shores to reach Greece.

About 60,000 refugees and migrants are currently stranded in Greece, according to official data.