With the support of IOM, a further 42 Syrian refugees have been safely relocated to Germany from the Greek islands of Lesvos, Samos, Chios, and Kos. The flight, which was organized by the IOM mission in Greece, left Athens on the morning of Wednesday 3rd of February and touched down in Hanover later that same day. Amongst the passengers were 19 children under the age of 12, who travelled along with their families.

The 42 beneficiaries of international protection were greeted upon arrival by staff from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), who helped them to complete the remaining paperwork before boarding coaches to their final destinations in Berlin, Lower Saxony and North Rhein-Westphalia.

This flight was funded by the EU’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs and is the first flight of its kind to Germany so far in 2021.