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Tuesday, 14 March 2017

Lecture by Mrs. Laura Thompson, on Migration Governance under the John Anastopoulos International Lecture Series

Mrs. Laura Thompson, Deputy Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) was the key speaker of the 18th International Lecture in memory of the late Professor John Anastopoulos (1942-1997) which was held on Tuesday, March 14, 2017, at the Conference Hall of the European Public Law Organization (EPLO) in Plaka, Athens.

The series of these honorary events have been jointly  established by the EPLO and the Department of Public Law of the Faculty of Law of the Athens University.

Ms. Thompson, in her speech, entitled "Migration Governance in a Changing World", referred to the mission and the activity of the International Organization for Migration as described by the UN, 65 years ago, immediately after the Second World War, aiming to provide services and advice to governments and migrants also stressed the increase of flows of migrants and refugees during these last years towards developed countries.

This is a situation, as she said, that demonstrates the need for changes to be made to the policy of host countries in order to address the issue in terms of fairness, security and humanitarianism.

"Since the beginning of 2017 and until March 8, 19,567 migrants and refugees have entered Italy, Greece and Spain by sea", Mrs. Thompson said and added: "The IOM acts to ensure the safety and dignity of migrants and helps with the its presence the installation, the relocation or the return to their home countries for illegal immigrants or those who want to return voluntarily."

The speaker was presented by the Director of the EPLO Professor Spyridon Flogaitis and the Director of the Department of Public Law of the Faculty of Law of the Athens University Professor Georgios Gerapetritis. The event was attended by the family of the honored late Professor John Anastopoulos, the Mayor of Athens Giorgos Kaminis, the Chief of IOM in Greece Mr Daniel Esdras, representatives of political parties, academics, senior judges, diplomats and others.