On 19-20 October 2023, a meeting of the Technology Working Group of the Intergovernmental Consultations on Migration, Asylum and Refugees (IGC) was held at the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, in a hybrid format.
This meeting on “Modernisation and digitisation of migration systems and processes” was co-organised by the Ministry of Migration and Asylum and the IGC Secretariat, and those who participated were representatives of Australia, Canada, EU-states, New Zealand, UK and USA, as well as representatives of European Union Agency for Asylum, the European Commission, the International Organization for Migration, and the UNHCR. At the opening of the proceedings, the Permanent Secretary of MoMA, Mrs. Ourania Stavropoulou, delivered a welcome address. The Director General of Information Technology and Communications, Mr. Anastasios Salis, presented to the participants the technological developments of the systems and applications of the Ministry, while the Head of the Directorate for European and International Cooperation, Ms. Angeliki Grammatikopoulou, briefly described the structure of the Ministry and the main axes of Greece's migration policy.
The IGC’s Technology Working Group focuses on state policies and practices on innovation, as well as the development and use of technology in migration management. In this context, strategic objectives are addressed, good practices are highlighted, emphasis is placed on enhancing interoperability and compatibility between operating systems, standards and technologies, and the provision of expertise and international cooperation in the field of technology is promoted. In addition, specific topics include large-scale systems, travel facilitation technologies, biometric data, identity, system security, data protection, e-applications and customer service systems.
Greece is represented in the above Working Group by the General Directorate of Information Technology and Communications, while the Directorate for European and International Cooperation of MoMA is responsible for the coordination of our country’s participation in the IGC.
During the first day of the meeting, the Integrated Electronic and Physical Security Management System “KENTAVROS”, the IT and communications infrastructure of the central service and the Reception and Asylum Offices in Greece, the Unified Information System for Reception and Asylum “ALKYONI II”, as well as the recent developments in the digitization of legal migration procedures were presented, while there was also an update on the digital developments in the field of citizenship. During the second day of the meeting, the topics of discussion mainly concerned the technological innovations of other participating countries in the field of migration management, including the use of artificial intelligence, as well as the European Digital Travel Credential Pilot by the European Commission.
