PRESS RELEASE No.  24

MANILA, Philippines, Oct 30 - Greek Deputy Minister of Interior Athanassios Nakos, in his speech during the closing ceremonies of the 2nd Global Forum for Migration and Development (GFMD) at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), today stressed that in “migration there is an increasing interdependence of

all countries.”

Nakos bared his observation after noting that migration has evolved rapidly due to important changes in the political, economic and social scene.

”Regional conflicts, climate change, globalization, and more recently, the global financial crisis that we are currently witnessing have had a great impact on migration and will no doubt continue to do so in the future,” he pointed out. 

With these global developments, Nakos stated that Greece is called upon to respond to a new challenge since migration cannot be considered a new phenomenon in his country.

”(With these developments) our own policy is constantly reviewed and adopted to the evolving situation. Migration, in our internal policy, is now deemed to be a tool for growth, with due respects to the rights of individuals, the migrants themselves and their integration in our society,” the Greek minister further added.

Nakos also stated that Greece aims to maximize the benefits from international migration and minimize its impacts.

”We should work so that migration becomes a choice instead of a necessity,” the Greek minister added.

The Greek minister also pointed out that since Greece will host the 3rd GFMD Nov. 4 and 5 of this 2009 they will focus their efforts “on the fact that international migration cannot be a substitute to development.”

Nakos also announced the fact that heads of state and governments composing the

European Union (EU) have already adopted the European Pact on Migration and

Asylum.