A group of 50 asylum-seekers and migrants, including 16 unaccompanied children rescued from camps, have flown into the UK from Greece to be reunited with their families.
The group departed Athens on Monday morning, arriving at Heathrow Airport, west London, a few hours later.
Some 130 Greek nationals stranded in the UK because of the coronavirus lockdown are being flown back to Greece in a scheme delayed by the global pandemic.
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The group will be reunited with their families in Britain
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The refugees and migrants board the plane at Athens International Airport
The Greek migration ministry confirmed the number of minors and said it hopes to gradually relocate around 1,600 vulnerable persons from its refugee camps to other countries in coming months.
Tens of thousands of refugees and migrants, including thousands of unaccompanied children, are living in squalid conditions in overcrowded camps on several Greek islands after arriving from the nearby Turkish coast.
Others are staying in camps, apartments and other shelters across the mainland.
So far, Luxembourg has taken 12 children and Germany nearly 50, while Finland is to take about 100 later this month.
Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas said that a further 22 people are to be relocated to Switzerland.
The transfer, which was supposed to happen in March, took place under the Dublin Treaty, which allows families to be reunited if a close relative is already in the country of destination.
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British ambassador to Greece, Kate Smith (C), was there to see the refugees depart
Delayed by the coronavirus lockdown, it went ahead following an easing of Greek restrictions on 4 May.
Deputy migration minister Giorgos Koumoutsakos said at Athens airport. “Today the lives of the people who are leaving is changing.”
“The coronavirus was an additional procedural challenge but as you can see it was not an obstacle,” he added.
The group waved as they boarded the aircraft.
Beth Gardiner-Smith, chief executive of refugee charity Safe Passage International, which supported the initiative, said in a statement: “The British and Greek governments have shown real leadership in reuniting these families despite the travel difficulties.”
Thousands of migrants and refugees fleeing conflicts and poverty in their countries became stuck in Greece when the flow was stopped in 2016.
