N. Mitarakis will inform the LIBE Commission about the Turkish provocation

The Minister of Immigration and Asylum, Mr. Notis Mitarakis, sent a letter to the Chairman of the LIBE Committee, Mr. Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar, requesting to address the members of the LIBE Committee at its next meeting on June 27 and to provide detailed information on the of the Greek government to deal with the ongoing immigration crisis, always in accordance with the acquis of the EU.

Mr Aguilar immediately accepted the request of the Minister for Immigration and Asylum.

Mr. Mitarakis, in his letter, presents the challenges posed by Turkey against our sovereign rights, even with inflammatory, revisionist and legally unfounded statements about the status of the Aegean islands. Greece is once again witnessing the increase of pressure on the land borders of Evros but also on the Aegean islands, as it is typically mentioned.

At the same time, it is pointed out that in recent months the networks of smugglers, with the tolerance or support of the Turkish authorities, have devised a new method of circumventing border controls. The smugglers leave groups of migrants on islets created by the seasonal low flow of the river Evros. The immigrants inform the NGOs, which in turn notify the Greek authorities of their exact location, claiming that they are in danger.

In addition, the Minister of Immigration and Asylum assures that the Greek authorities always comply with their obligations under the Geneva Convention and the EU acquis, adding that “we have acted in all these cases and rescued from the islands in Evros only 196 people. last month.Everyone was in good health and no one needed hospitalization.The men and women of the Greek border police carry out, on a daily basis, a Heraklion project under extremely harsh conditions, always in accordance with the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. The Hellenic Coast Guard has saved hundreds of lives at sea as it did in the previous period in two serious incidents in Mykonos and Rhodes “.

Mr. Mitarakis emphasizes the issue of the instrumentalization of immigration as an extremely complex challenge, aiming at the abuse of European high standards for human rights and the rule of law and adds that “tackling it requires unity between us. Our opponents are always In order to deal with them and at the same time ensure that we remain a safe haven for people fleeing persecution, we must maintain our credibility by always checking the facts.The LIBE Commission has a very important role to play , and to prevent propaganda and misinformation mechanisms ”.

Finally, Mr Mitarakis points out that we must agree on common strategies based on a balance between the principles of responsibility and solidarity for all, including the free movement of recognized refugees within the EU, as we have done successfully for the displaced from Ukraine. .

” We can not allow Europe to be silently tolerated two meters and two weights in international protection. “We must work together to build a truly common European protection area.”