Two Syrian refugee families arrive in Estonia
Two Syrian refugee families being relocated under the EU’s refugee resettlement program arrived in Estonia from Greece on Thursday. The families were met by their assigned support persons, together with whom they continued on to their new homes in Tallinn and Haapsalu.
One family consists of a mother, father and preschool-aged child. The father has trained as a joiner and an excavator driver, while the mother briefly studied in university and speaks English in addition to her native language.
The other family includes a mother, father and three children. Both parents speak English in addition to their native language. The mother has some teaching experience while the father has studied in higher education and previously ran a store.
Before their relocation, all persons to be resettled in Estonia undergo background checks. In Greece, Estonian experts from the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA), the Estonian Internal Security Service (KaPo) and the Ministry of Social Affairs conduct thorough interviews with the war refugees, during which Estonia, the rights and obligations of persons granted international protection in Estonia as well as the country’s local customs are introduced and explained.
As of today, 27 war refugees have been resettled from Greece to Estonia. Estonian experts have also been conducting interviews with war refugees eligible for relocation from Turkey, from which the first refugee families could arrive in Estonia sometime during July.
As of June 14, EU member states have resettled a total of 2,195 war refugees, including 1,420 from Greece and 775 from Italy. Following the EU-Turkey resettlement deal, 511 refugees from Turkey have been resettled in EU member states.
Editor: Editor: Aili Sarapik