EU considers taking in 1,500 refugee children living in Greek camps: Germany
March 9, 2020, 10:58 am

EU considers taking in 1,500 refugee children living in Greek camps: Germany

A man carries his son on his shoulder in a field where migrants camp out in Edirne, near the Turkish-Greek border on March 8, 2020. (AP)

The European Union is considering taking in up to 1,500 migrant children who are currently housed in Greek camps, Germany said Monday.

“A humanitarian solution is being negotiated at the European level for a ‘coalition of the willing’ to take in these children,” said the government in a statement.

Berlin was ready to take in an “appropriate” share, it added. Germany

“We want to support Greece in the difficult humanitarian situation of about 1,000 to 1,500 children on the Greek islands,” added the government in a statement after more than seven hours of talks between leaders of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s right-left coalition.

Concern over the plight of the minors has grown as they either require urgent medical treatment or are unaccompanied by adults.

Calls have grown in recent days for other European nations to take them in, as Greece came under intense pressure after

Turkey stopped preventing migrants from leaving for EU territory.

Over the last week, migrants have repeatedly sought to storm the Greek border, with clashes erupting as Greek police used tear gas and water cannon to push them back.

Amid the crisis, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is due in Brussels Monday for talks with the EU.

Ankara and the EU agreed in 2016 a deal in which Brussels would provide billions of euros in aid in exchange for Turkish authorities curbing the flow of migrants.

But Ankara has repeatedly accused the bloc of not fulfilling its promises.

source: AFP

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”