The General Secretariat of Migration Policy was established in 2010 by article 1 of the Presidential Decree 11/2010 (16.02.10 Α’15). Following a series of administrative changes, the Secretariat was re-established by the Presidential Decree 18/2020 (Α34) in 2020.

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.

The Secretariat also manages co-financed resources for the implementation of migration policies and coordinates the actions of departments and bodies falling within its jurisdiction.

It cooperates with relevant Ministries, local authorities, public services, NGOs and stakeholders for issues that relate to migration policy.

In order to accomplish its objectives, it participates in the relevant E.U bodies and it initiates international collaborations with competent authorities and partners.

Furthermore, it also acts as the National Contact Point (NCP) for the following networks or programs:

• The European Migration Network (EMN).
• The Euromed-Migration Program, funded by the EU and implemented by the International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).
• The Working Party on Migration of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
• The Intergovernmental Consultations on Migration, Asylum and Refugees (IGC).

The Secretariat follows and contributes to regional dialogue initiatives on migration issues between the European Union and third-countries, such as, in particular, the “Budapest Process - A Silk Route Partnership for Migration” initiative.

It contributes to the United Nations’ processes in relation to the “Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration”.

It participates and contributes to the Global Forum on Migration & Development (GFMD).

It is part of the Interministerial Coordination Network for the implementation in Greece of the United Nations “Sustainable Development Goals 2016-2030”.

It contributes, via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to the work of the Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (DAC/OECD)

Finally, the General Secretary of Migration Policy is appointed as the Focal Point of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum for monitoring the implementation οf the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), in accordance with article 71 of Law 4488/2017

The General Secretariat of Migration Policy is organized as follows:

• The General Directorate of Migration Policy
• The Asylum Service
• The Appeals Authority
• The General Directorate for the Coordination and Management of the Programs of Asylum Migration and Integration Fund/Internal Security Fund and other funding sources.