Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos addresses a group of unaccompanied refugees and migrants at a symbolic celebration at Greek parliament in Athens, Greece, on Dec. 18, 2017. Greece marked International Migrants Day by welcoming a group of unaccompanied refugees and migrants at a symbolic celebration here on Monday. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)
by Maria Spiliopoulou
ATHENS, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Greece marked International Migrants Day on Monday by welcoming a group of unaccompanied refugees and migrants at a symbolic celebration at Greek parliament here.
Young refugees and migrants living in two camps in the Greek capital were met by Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and other Greek officials, as well as Greek children who sang Christmas carols.
"Until the war is over and you can go back home with safety, something that we must all work for together, your country is Greece and your family is Greek society," Pavlopoulos said.
"Let us hope and work to reunite the families and to bring peace, development, safety and stability so that families can return where they wish to live," Parliamentary Speaker Nikos Voutsis added.
An overwhelming majority of Greeks have shown solidarity and hospitality to the over one million people who have landed in Greece since 2015 seeking refuge from war zones and poverty to Europe, he stressed.
More than 60,000 refugees and migrants have been stranded in Greece since the closure of the Balkan route to central Europe in the winter of 2016. Among them are about 3,000 unaccompanied children.
