# Ministry of Migration and Asylum

The Ministry of Migration and Asylum is the official government body that oversees migration and asylum policy issues in Greece. It also contributes and implements European policies on Migration. It collaborates with the European Union Agency for Asylum, the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations. It receives funding from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the European Recovery and Resilience Fund. The Ministry of Migration and Asylum was established on 15 January 2020. The Ministry of Migration Policy, established on 5 November 2016, was abolished on 8 July 2019.
Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos is the current Minister for Migration and Asylum and Sofia Voultepsi is the Deputy Minister, responsible for issues of social integration.

## History

* On 4 November 2016, with the Presidential Decree 123/2016, the Ministry of Migration Policy was created out of the former Ministry of the Interior and Administrative Reorganization.
* On 8 July 2019, with the Presidential Decree 81/2019, the Ministry of Migration Policy was absorbed by the Ministry of Citizen Protection.
* On 15 January 2020, with the Presidential Decree 4/2020, the Ministry of Migration and Asylum was created when the General Secretariat of Migration Policy, Reception and Asylum was removed from the Ministry of Citizen Protection and its functions transferred to the new government department.
* On 23 January 2020, with the Presidential Decree 106/2020, the organizational structure of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum was drawn up.

## Administrative Services
### Secretariat-General of Migration Policy

The General Secretariat of Migration Policy was established in 2010 with Article 1 of the Presidential Decree 11/2010 (16.02.10 Α’15). Following a series of administrative changes, the Secretariat was re-established in 2020 with the Presidential Decree 18/2020 (Α34).The General Secretariat participates in the planning and implementation of national and European policies for migration, oversees international protection policies by examining asylum applications, and promotes the social integration of third-country nationals in Greece. According to the Presidential Decree 106/2020, the Secretariat-General of Migration Policy oversees the Directorate-General of Migration Policy, the Appeals Authority, Directorate–General for the Coordination and Management of Migration and Home Affairs Funds and the Asylum Service

### Secretariat-General for Reception of Asylum Seekers

The Secretariat-General for Reception of Asylum Seekers was established by the first article of the Presidential Decree 18/2020 (Government Gazette 34/Issue Α’/19-02-2020). The Reception and Identification Service (previously named First Reception Service according to Law 3907/2011) was established with Law Ν.4375/2016 (Government Gazette 51/Issue Α’/ 03-04-2016) and operates under the Secretariat-General for Reception of Asylum Seekers. The Reception and Identification Service is responsible for the reception and identification procedures for third-country nationals who enter Greece without the lawful requirements.

### Secretariat-General for Vulnerable Individuals & Institutional Protection

The Secretariat Special for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors was established in paragraph 3 of the first article of the Presidential Decree 18/2020. It operates according to Articles 35 and 42 of Law 4622/2019 and reports to the Deputy Minister for Migration and Asylum. Its mission was to plan, implement and supervise the National Strategy in Greece for the protection of unaccompanied minors. On June 27, 2023, with Presidential Decree 77/2023, the Secretariat-General for Vulnerable Individuals & Institutional Protection was established, which took on all the responsibilities of the Secretariat Special for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors.

## Ministers
### Ministers for Migration Policy (2016–2019)

| Name | Took office | Left office | Party | Notes |
| Giannis Mouzalas | 5 November 2016 | 28 February 2018 | Syriza | Second Cabinet of Alexis Tsipras |
| Dimitris Vitsas | 28 February 2018 | 9 July 2019 | Syriza | Second Cabinet of Alexis Tsipras |

### Ministers for Migration and Asylum (2020–present)

| Name | Took office | Left office | Party | Notes |
| Notis Mitarachi | 15 January 2020 | 26 May 2023 | New Democracy | First Cabinet of Kyriakos Mitsotakis |
| Daniel Esdras | 26 May 2023 | 27 June 2023 | Independent | Caretaker Cabinet of Ioannis Sarmas |
| Dimitris Kairidis [el] | 27 June 2023 | 14 June 2024 | New Democracy | Second Cabinet of Kyriakos Mitsotakis |
| Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos | 14 June 2024 | Incumbent | New Democracy | Second Cabinet of Kyriakos Mitsotakis |