Min. Immigration: SYRIZA MEPs are undermining the country’s international credibility

The Press Office of the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum, regarding the question of the MEPs of SYRIZA-PS, Mr. Kouloglou and Arvanitis, issued the following statement:

“We have received a question from the MEPs of SYRIZA-PS to the Commission on the subject of “New tragedy on the Greek-Turkish border. Dead 5-year-old remains unburied”.

Messrs. Kouloglou and Arvanitis chose, unfortunately, to discredit our country abroad, at a time when yet another attempt to exploit human suffering by the Turkish side was underway. Greece quickly fulfilled its humanitarian duty, offering health care and the possibility of submitting an asylum request to the group of 38 migrants who entered Greek territory on 14/8. There was no loss of human life within Greek territory.

Greece will continue to guard its borders with absolute respect for International and European Law, saving thousands of lives on land and sea. This tragedy is the result of the practice of the Turkish authorities to promote, with the use of force according to the statements, migrants to Greece, circumventing the dictates of International Law and the EU-Turkey Joint Declaration.

In addition, the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum contacted, from the first moment, the UNHCR, as well as the Red Cross, in order to, if the family gives permission, to contribute to the transfer of the body of the 5-year-old girl from Turkey in our country, so that the burial can be carried out with dignity by his family.

The MEPs of SYRIZA-PS, for the umpteenth time, point the finger at our country and permanently undermine its international credibility. On national issues, such as immigration, one would expect them not to remain locked in their ideologies and anti-government sentiment.”