The Commission acknowledged, on Wednesday 18 March, that the spread of COVID-19 was a factor of uncertainty for the implementation of the plan to relocate unaccompanied minors present in the Greek islands to other Member States.
Decided on a voluntary basis by several Member States on 4 and 13 March, on the occasion of two meetings of Interior ministers, this relocation of at least 1,600 minors was due to start this week. While the Commission spokesman for Home Affairs, Adalbert Jahnz, said that "discussions are under way on the practical and operational aspects, we hope to be able to implement them as soon as possible", he also said that the spread of the virus and the measures taken to respond to it "have to be taken into account" and that "it is therefore difficult in the immediate future to give a precise timing".
The Commission has also refused to interfere in the measures taken by the Greek authorities for camps on the Greek islands in response to COVID-19 aimed at limiting mobility and prohibiting access by outside visitors for 2 weeks, according to AFP. This task is "the responsibility of the Greek authorities".
For its part, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced, on 17 March, that it had to temporarily suspend programmes for the resettlement of refugees from non-Member States, particularly to EU countries, because of COVID-19. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)