Kabul: Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry says it will open an embassy in Greece within a few months to assist tens of thousands of Afghan illegal migrants there.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Janan Musazai says the new embassy in Athens should be open by the end of March. He says that Kabul will close its embassy in Bulgaria at the same time.
Musazai said on Sunday that about 50,000 Afghans illegally enter Greece each year, seeking a better life in the European Union. Most choose the country because of its porous land border with Turkey.
But many are either caught and jailed or find themselves stranded with no money and no papers. Musazai said a recent government delegation provided 650 passports to Afghans who wanted to return home.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, January 08, 2012, 15:15