Germany said its scheme to take in refugees from Greek islands ended on Thursday as the last 103 people arrived more than six months after a fire destroyed the Moria camp.
More than 2,760 people were offered a home in Germany in a programme that was expanded after the camp blaze last September.
But Berlin faces criticism for ending the scheme while many migrants are still living in a crowded camp in Greece described as "Moria 2.0".
“Ending this process is an act of irresponsibility towards all those who are left behind on the islands without any prospects of protection or safety,” said Guenter Burkhardt, the executive director of pro-migration group Pro Asyl.
The group called for the programme to be extended to include more of the migrants stranded in Greece after fleeing Syria and Afghanistan.
Germany's actions initially raised hopes in the camp but then led to disappointment, it said.
“Germany and other EU states cannot keep tolerating the permanent violation of the human rights of asylum seekers in Greece,” the group said.
The Refugee Council of Lower Saxony criticised the German government for congratulating itself on the scheme when it said “we have kept our word”.
“It’s not about whether we’ve kept our word, which is easy when you only promise to take in embarrassingly small numbers of people,” the council said.
“It’s about finally evacuating all the people from the catastrophic camps on the borders of Europe.”
A youth wing of the Social Democratic Party, which is part of Angela Merkel’s coalition government, said thousands of people were still living in inhumane conditions in Greece.
“We’re sticking by our call to evacuate them now,” the group said. “Germany has enough safe havens.”
Germany’s interior ministry said the final flight landed in Hannover on Thursday with 103 people on board.
There were 21 families, made up of 48 adults and 55 children. They will go to live in 12 separate states in Germany.
Germany calls for EU help in accepting migrants
“The admission of 2,750 men, women and children from the Greek islands has been completed,” said Interior Minister Horst Seehofer.
“I hope that other EU countries will also promptly honour their commitments. It’s about the credibility of European co-operation.”
Germany said it had accounted for more than half the migrants taken in under a scheme organised by the European Commission.
“At this time, no further admissions from Greece are planned,” the German government said.
EU nations including the Netherlands and Luxembourg, as well as Switzerland, took in migrants from Greece.
Mr Seehofer initially ordered several hundred sick children and unaccompanied youngsters to be taken in last March.
After the Moria fire, the German government announced it would take in another 1,553 migrants stranded on Greek islands.
The issue of migration was a flashpoint during Ms Merkel's term in office after she opened Germany's doors during the 2015 refugee crisis.
Her decision spurred the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany party, which entered parliament for the first time in 2017.
Ms Merkel is not running for a fifth term in office when Germany goes to the polls at a general election in September.
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
2252 - Dh50
6025 - Dh20
6027 - Dh100
6026 - Dh200
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
RESULTS
Lightweight (female)
Sara El Bakkali bt Anisha Kadka
Bantamweight
Mohammed Adil Al Debi bt Moaz Abdelgawad
Welterweight
Amir Boureslan bt Mahmoud Zanouny
Featherweight
Mohammed Al Katheeri bt Abrorbek Madaminbekov
Super featherweight
Ibrahem Bilal bt Emad Arafa
Middleweight
Ahmed Abdolaziz bt Imad Essassi
Bantamweight (female)
Ilham Bourakkadi bt Milena Martinou
Welterweight
Mohamed Mardi bt Noureddine El Agouti
Middleweight
Nabil Ouach bt Ymad Atrous
Welterweight
Nouredine Samir bt Marlon Ribeiro
Super welterweight
Brad Stanton bt Mohamed El Boukhari
The bio
Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district
Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family
His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned
Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
