Minute taker Summary drafter Date File name GHIOKAS 15/3/2019 BASN0315.GH1 “Strengthening Inclusion and Integration Policies for Migrants in Greece” Conference UNREVISED MATRONI DIKEAKOU (Conference Chairperson): Good day to you inside and outside the Senate Hall, where Greek Parliamentarians will today exchange views on the social integration of migrants in Greece and how this can be reinforced, with representatives of the European Parliament and the European Commission, academics, and local government representatives. I consider as particularly fateful the fact that this Conference coincides with the attacks at Christchurch New Zealand, which have left many dead as we are currently aware of, at two mosques, perhaps even at a school. So far, there are 40 people dead and 20 seriously injured. Now let's get back to our Conference. This Conference is an unprecedented undertaking, at many levels, for the Greek Parliament. Furthermore, the Parliament invites citizens to raise their questions in person, while it also invites the many who could not possibly fit into this room, to send questions via Facebook and Twitter. Greek Parliament TV is broadcasting directly from the Senate Hall over its third online channel WEB-3, which one can easily tune into through the Parliament’s website. By 19.00 today approximately, we hope that we will have informed you on the EU's evolving policy regarding the integration of migrants, on the current Greek legislative framework for the social inclusion of migrants, on occurrences of discrimination as well as of solidarity in the Greek society, and on the application of policies and the implementation of actions for the social inclusion of migrants. The Conference is taking place as part of the program “Science meets the Parliaments/ Science meets the Regions”, a pilot program that the European Parliament decided to fund last C:\Users\p.brinias\Desktop\JRC\Πρακτικά για site - 28092019\Πρακτικά1__15.3.2019 en.docx Minute taker Summary drafter Date File name GHIOKAS 15/3/2019 BASN0315.GH1 year, thus wishing to contribute to the best possible scientific information regarding policymaking. The first Conference of the program was organized in November 2018 in London, again focusing on migration and its impact on policymaking and local communities. Four other Conferences followed, with different topics, in Poland, France, Estonia and Latvia. More about the program and the topic of the Conference will be heard in the welcome speeches of the President of the Greek Parliament, Mr. Nikos Voutsis, the 3rd Vice-President of the Parliament, Mrs. Anastasia Christodoulopoulou, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Migration Policy, Mr. Miltiadis Klapas and Mrs. Patrizia Busolini, on behalf of the European Commission's Directorate-General-Joint Research Center. At this point I would like to call and give the floor to the President of the Greek Parliament, Mr. Nikos Voutsis. NIKOLAOS VOUTSIS (President of the Greek Parliament): Good morning. I am going to say just a few words, because I am certain that in the discussions that will be made both with the distinguished ones and with, one might say, the experts, all the different aspects of this prepared inclusion strategy will unfold, will be highlighted and enriched. For my part, I would like to welcome this effort. I would like to reaffirm that the Parliament, with all its powers, with its institutions, is always present, willing, available for help, encouragement, cross-fertilization, enrichment and ultimately implementation of policies concerning the social inclusion and integration of migrants. You are aware that in recent years there has been a response, on the part of the Parliament, by a fairly large amount of money, of an aid, a provision, so that the school classrooms where courses are now taught to the children of refugees and migrants can be heated, and whatever else needs to be done we do, and we are ready to curate it, to sponsor and to aid. C:\Users\p.brinias\Desktop\JRC\Πρακτικά για site - 28092019\Πρακτικά1__15.3.2019 en.docx Minute taker Summary drafter Date File name LYRAKI LYRAKI 15/3/2019 BBSN0315.IL1 (Following on from the speech of Mr. NIKOLAOS VOUTSIS, President of the Greek Parliament) Allow me to try to put across a political message through this Welcome Speech, in view of the European elections not least. Everyone has to realize that shaping and, above all, implementing a consistent humane, contemporary policy on social inclusion, is directly embedded in the objectives answering to the major problems, to the challenges of the very substance, the future, the entity and the existence of the EU. This discussion, which is already taking place and is in progress also in view of the European elections on a pan-European scale, ought to mark the passing from the time of disputes, conflicts and great divisions that have occurred with the request on the part of the xenophobic forces for prevention with regard to the migratory refugee flows, from that time, to a time when, together and with the proportional assumption of responsibilities by all the Member States - and the respective protection of the respective societies, we will move on to the phase, I repeat, of a consistent, aggressive, long-term, contemporary inclusion policy for large parts of migratory refugee flows in Europe. It is therefore registered, this thought, this strategy, in the discussion agenda and steps have been taken. In our country, steps have been taken, and you know them very well and they will certainly be discussed later on, in all areas of health, welfare, education, institutional protection, housing, a series of programs which are evolving, they are in a transition phase. This strategy however should also reflect a constantly growing awareness, I repeat, on a Europe-wide scale now, in the big picture of developments, that there is a need for steady policies, that the discussions which have taken place both with regard to the Dublin Regulation and to the asylum policies should advance at a much greater pace. So that the European peoples within two to two and a half months from now will see the challenge regarding this matter too, very well and clearly presented before them, and will make the corresponding decisions and reinforce, I would say, and support a new political interrelation at all levels of the C:\Users\p.brinias\Desktop\JRC\Πρακτικά για site - 28092019\Πρακτικά1__15.3.2019 en.docx Minute taker Summary drafter Date File name LYRAKI LYRAKI 15/3/2019 BBSN0315.IL1 elected EU bodies, which will support and assist with the consolidation, with the exploration of these policies on a Europe-wide scale. So that we are thus able to leave behind, I repeat, the deep division that now exists and the encouragement instead or even tolerance- where the rules suddenly do not apply unceasingly as they did in other aspects of EU policy- of xenophobic, isolationist , claustrophobic and racist behaviors, which are a fuse and an element of further refusal, deconstruction, dissolution of the EU itself. For our part, we are positively engaged on the side of those who promote these policies, who strengthen them and who also strengthen dialogue so that all the new institutional provisions on a Europe-wide scale can be made, so that they can truly delineate this new era after the European elections. Therefore, today's Conference and discussions will become extremely timely, they have always been timely and it is the lives of people we are talking about, because we are talking about people, this is what the timeliness is about, they are concerned with both yesterday and the day before, and with today as well, but they are also politically timely on a Europe-wide scale. C:\Users\p.brinias\Desktop\JRC\Πρακτικά για site - 28092019\Πρακτικά1__15.3.2019 en.docx Minute taker Summary drafter Date File name ΜΧ Charalambopoulos 15.3.2019 BCSN0315.MX1 (Following on from the speech of Mr. Nikolaos Voutsis, President of the Greek Parliament) I believe that both the conclusions and the resonance of these proceedings will positively contribute, possibly even by challenging-inviting all European party groups to put into their programs these conclusions on such political and institutional arrangements, that is, there are grounds also for the development of an agenda around these, in view of the European elections. I think that it will be a very positive initiative, a step, an imprint, which the Greek Parliament definitely encourages, supports, and which you live with, experience, exchange with society and international fora everyday, in the field as you say and as we say too, and which you are bringing here as well, so that it may at last obtain a more institutional form. Good morning, be well. MATRONI DIKEAKOU (Conference Chairperson): Thank you, Mr. President. And now I am inviting the 3rd Vice-President of the Greek Parliament, Mrs. Anastasia Christodoulopoulou, also a former Deputy Minister for Migration Policy, to give her own Welcome Speech. ANASTASIA CHRISTODOULOPOULOU (3rd Vice-President of the Greek Parliament - Former Deputy Minister for Migration Policy): Good morning to all, to the guests, to the people of the field who are interested in these migration policy issues. I am glad to be among you in yet another public debate on the issues of social inclusion. Social inclusion policies constitute a response to racism, intolerance and discrimination, they characterize human-centered societies, societies that put people at the center, that do not exclude, do not shut the door to people who are different and that is why we use the term “social inclusion” for other issues as well, for prisoners who get out of prison, for people who have become addicted to some substances, for people who are different, because C:\Users\p.brinias\Desktop\JRC\Πρακτικά για site - 28092019\Πρακτικά1__15.3.2019 en.docx Minute taker Summary drafter Date File name ΜΧ Charalambopoulos 15.3.2019 BCSN0315.MX1 precisely the open societies, the pluralist societies, the multicultural societies, are the open societies which accept all people, because every person is unique and at the same time can bring new things for all of us.