January 2018 Successful conclusion of the EU Relocation Scheme More than numbers: New Study on Migration From the beginning of the programme and until January 2018, IOM Greece has helped 21,737 asylum seekers relocate safely from Greece to other EU member states. 5,371 were relocated to Germany, 4,400 to France and 1,754 to The Netherlands. Read more AVRR: IOM visits Northern Greece A study by the UN Migration Agency’s (IOM) Global Migration Data Analysis Centre (GMDAC), working with the McKinsey Centre for Government (MCG), was released at Davos’ World Economic Forum. Read more | Download report here IOM conducted an information visit in Northern Greece, to the cities of Kavala, Drama, Paranesti, Komotini, Xanthi, Orestiada and Alexandroupoli. During the reporting period, IOM Greece assisted 397 third country nationals to return to their home country. Amongst them, 105 were from Iraq, 104 from Pakistan, 29 from Algeria and 28 from Georgia. Read on Reintegration in Georgia: Salome’s story OCAVRR Salome is the owner of an afterschool child care centre in Kutaisi, Georgia. She moved back to her hometown after 5 years in Greece due to financial difficulties. The idea of creating a child care centre was Salome’s life-long dream. It finally came true, thanks to IOM’s Reintegration assistance and her family’s support. View her story on the video During the reporting period, 117 beneficiaries were accommodated to the Open Center for Migrants registered for Assisted Voluntary Return & Reintegration (OCAVRR). Amongst them 44 are from Pakistan and 34 from Iraq. Furthermore, 52 beneficiaries, accommodated with the OCAVRR II project and resided at the Center, respectfully returned to their country of origin. Read on Toys distribution to the migrant children Transfer of UMCs to safe zones IOM Greece, with the support from Desmos non- profit foundation, has distributed toys that Greek children have shared as a gift to the migrant children who arrived from the islands with their families. Read on IOM Greece coordinates the transfer of Unaccompanied Children in Safe Zones and provides escorts until their arrival at the open accommodation sites. With the support of the European Commission - Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid Operations - ECHO. More info IOM DG meets with CEB Governor Migrant Story: H.R. from Pakistan “My name is H.R. and I am 16 years old. I came to Greece from Pakistan six months ago and since then I am living in an open accommodation site for unaccompanied migrant children in the center of Athens. I have four brothers and two sisters. My older brother is currently staying in Italy. Sometime in the future, I want to go and live with The Governor of the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), Rolf him. My dream is to become a chef in a small Italian city. I love cooking…”. Wenzel, met with the Director General of the International Organization for Read his story Migration (IOM), Ambassador William Lacy Swing, at the CEB’s headquarters in Paris, reviewed bilateral co-operation and discussed migrant care in Greece and the Western Balkans. Read on IOM Office in Greece View all previous IOM Greece Newsletters Keep Up to Date with IOM Greece Press & News Follow IOM Greece on Social Media IOM Greece on Twitter IOM Greece on Facebook IOM Greece on Instagram IOM Greece on YouTube Media Contacts For more information please contact IOM Greece Media Department [email protected] International Organization for Migration 6 Dodekanisou Str., Alimos, 17456, Athens, Greece [email protected] .