France is making good on a commitment it made— one of the few European Union countries to do so, by offering to relocate upwards of 30,000 refugees from Greece.
The move is part of a relocation deal EU members signed in 2015 to alleviate pressure from the so-called “refugee frontline nations” like Greece and Italy.
France said it would begin the transfer of 400 people per month over the next two years.
A total of 160,000 refugees were due to be shared around the EU’s member states according to a plan signed last summer, but France – like several others states – has fallen short of its obligations, taking in only 540 refugees under the reallocation plan and leaving more than 50,000 stranded in Greece.
Many of Greece’s public squares have been overcome with refugees. See photos below