Addressing the Needs of Refugees For Health and Education: Have Greece and the EU Done Enough?

Migration is a complex, multifaceted phenomenon. In the 21st century, it has become a major security issue as large numbers of people flee their country for safety or better living conditions. Over time, Europe shoulders the majority of the responsibility for Middle East and African migration flows. The current Ukrainian conflict highlights the need for more concerted and common migration policies in the context of protecting human life, especially when several states bear the brunt of migration flows. Greece has faced the challenge of accepting and integrating large numbers of refugees since 2015. Greece has adopted different policy measures and approaches to address the migration crisis in recent years, but the level of refugees' needs and lack of financial resources hinder their effectiveness. Greek response to migrants' integration is significant but partial. The health sector and refugees' access to health care have long been dysfunctional, while education initiatives have been more successful. Greek governments have been criticized for how they handled migration flows, but attention must also be paid to how the EU reacted to the crisis and how well values like solidarity and collectivity were preserved.