Mitarakis: Smugglers decide who enters Europe – Greece is committed to protecting its borders

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“Today we see smugglers exploiting people, making fortunes transporting migrants, taking extreme risks, as we see fatal accidents, especially at sea,” said the Greek Minister of Immigration and Asylum.

At the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, the Minister of Immigration and Asylum, Mr. Notis Mitarakis, spoke on Monday (10/10) in the context of the 73rd Session of the Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

In his speech, Mr. Mitarakis focused on the extreme practices followed by smugglers both on land and at sea, stressing that the exploitation of human life at the altar of money has the impact of dozens of deaths, as happened a few days ago in Lesvos and Kythera.

“Today we see smugglers exploiting people, making fortunes transporting migrants, taking extreme risks, as we see fatal accidents, especially at sea,” said the Greek Minister of Immigration and Asylum.

Mr. Mitarakis continued, stressing the criticality of maintaining the integrity of the Asylum System, which protects Europe’s shared values ​​thus: “so that we protect our shared values.

Providing asylum to those in need, but actively discouraging asylum ‘buying’, while continuing to fight smuggling networks. We must provide refuge to those in need of international protection – in accordance with International Law, but in a coordinated manner.

As was the case with the European Union’s coordinated response to Ukraine, activating temporary protection mechanisms and granting the right of free movement to refugees. Some argue that the European asylum model has broken down. Most arrivals are not from countries at risk as defined by the Geneva Convention. Smuggling networks today decide who enters Europe.”

At the same time, once again, Mr. Mitarakis, underlining the active role of Greece in guarding Europe’s borders, noted: “Greece is committed to protecting its borders. Border protection is pressing, in times of instrumentalization of migration, when human suffering gives way to geopolitical strategies.”

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