Zacharoula Tsirigoti

Description of prior teaching/training activities:

January 2017 – July 2019

Police Lt. General / Police Inspector General for Aliens and Border Protection (Hellenic Police Headquarters)

Hellenic Police HQs, 4, P. Kanellopoulou Ave., GR10177, Athens, Greece

▪  Leading, coordinating, supervising and controlling the work of police forces all over Greece in matters relating to irregular immigration and border protection.

▪  Supervising the implementation of the relevant legislation.

▪  Represented the Hellenic Police at the European Police Chiefs meetings at Europol.

▪  Honorably discharged in July 2019.

February 2016 – January 2017

Police Lt. General / Chief of Staff (Hellenic Police Headquarters)

▪  Leading, coordinating, supervising and controlling the work of the various branches of the Hellenic Police Headquarters dealing with administrative support and human resources, financial matters, as well as with security and the protection of public order.

March 2015 – January 2016

Police Major General / Head of the Aliens and Border Protection Branch(Hellenic Police Headquarters)

▪  Managing refugee/migration flows (in particular, screening and registration of refugees/migrants on the Southern and Northern Aegean islands).

July 2012 – February 2015

Police Brigadier General / Director of the International Police Cooperation Division

(Hellenic Police Headquarters)

▪  Leading, coordinating, supervising and controlling the European Union, International Affairs & Missions Section, the Europol National Unit, the National SIRENE Bureau and the INTERPOL National Central Bureau.

▪  General Coordinator of the Hellenic Police in matters relating to the Hellenic Presidency of the Council of the European Union (1st semester 2014). Chair of the Article 36 Committee (CATS) and the Standing Committee on Internal Security (COSI).

▪  Chair of the Working Group on Cooperation in Combating Crime during the Hellenic Presidency of the BSEC (2nd semester of 2012 and 2nd semester of 2014). National Representative in the Management Board of Europol and the Southeast European Law Enforcement Center (SELEC).

▪  Person responsible for Visa Waiver Programme on behalf of the Ministry of Citizen Protection.

March 2008 – July 2012

Police Lt. Colonel / Police Colonel, Head of the EU, International Affairs and Missions Section

(International Police Cooperation Division / Hellenic Police Headquarters)

▪  Person responsible for bilateral, multilateral and international relations on behalf of the Hellenic Police and the Ministry of Interior.

▪  Head of the negotiating team for numerous Police Cooperation and Readmission Agreements.

September 1999 – February 2008

Police Major / Member of the Police Cooperation Bureau

▪  Person responsible for drafting the Greek positions on police cooperation put forward at the competent working parties of the Council of the EU, as well as of BSEC, SELEC and other regional fora. Delegate at the Multidisciplinary Working Group and the Strategic Committee on Immigration, Frontiers and Asylum (Council of the EU).

January 1997 - August 1999

Police Captain / Police Liaison Officer in Sofia (Bulgaria)

August 1993 – December 1996

Police Lieutenant / Member of the SIRENE Bureau

▪  Person responsible for information exchange and the implementation of extradition requests.

1988-1993

▪  Held various operational positions in Public Order, Security and Traffic Police Stations in Western Attica and the Piraeus Aliens Police Station, as well as executive positions in central and regional Order and Security Services.

While working in the field of Aliens and Borders Protection, she participated as a speaker in several conferences hosted by the International Red Cross, the International Organisation for Migration, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations’ Children Fund (UNICEF), Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, Exposec, the Hellenic Diplomatic Academy, the Hellenic Police Academy, the Municipality of Athens, the Immigration Law Institute (EDAM), etc..

She participated as a national representative or as the head of the Greek delegation in numerous meetings at EU, bilateral, multilateral and international level, on police matters .From 2012 to 2019, she participated in various high-level government delegations under the Prime Minister and various Ministers.

Participation as an expert: Project “Survey and analysis of the Return Policy. Some Case Studies”. “Review of existing good practices & difficulties in destination countries - The experience of the Hellenic Republic”

Additional information (such as publications, awards, link, etc):

In recognition of her services, received various honours and awards by the Hellenic Republic, including the distinctions of Grand Officer and Commander of the Order of Honour and the distinction of Commander of the Order of the Phoenix, the Gold Cross of the Order of Honour and the Order of the Phoenix, the Medals of Merit (first class, second class and third class), as well as the Commendation Medals for Merit and Honour (first class, with the respective Star, second class and third class), the Medals for Meritorious Command (first and third class) and the Medal for Meritorious Service (first class).

Received France’s Gold Medal for Internal Security (Médaille de la sécurité intérieure) by the French Ambassador in Athens in a ceremony held at the French Embassy in Athens (March 1st, 2017).

She was discharged on 22nd July 2019 with the rank of Police Lieutenant General and awarded the title of Police Inspector General Emerita for Aliens and Border Protection.