Mitsotakis for Eleonas: An area of ​​almost ten thousand acres is attributed to the Athenians

“A huge area, almost 10 thousand acres, is assigned to its inhabitants, to begin with a double regeneration, which will simultaneously upgrade life in the center of the capital. In Botanikos, you can see the tangible results of two policies that are unfolding in parallel: the right choices of the State in immigration and the bold planning for a better everyday life in the capital, but also in the entire western basin”. he stated the Prime Minister during the ceremony of handing over the Eleonas structure to the Municipality of Athens.

In the summer of 2019 we received 121 crappy installations whereas, today, they work 31 organized hospitality areas

“You remember the situation we received when the Greek people entrusted us with the governance of the country in July 2019. I want to remind you that then we received 121 usually miserable facilities. By the end of the year we will have 31, only 31 organized hospitality spaces”, stressed the Prime Minister

“I would say that it is not simply – as Mr. Mayor said – a double and necessary reconstruction, but a double and timely response. On the one hand, the country is gradually freed from the immigration structures of the past, while on the other hand, with a central planner and the man who envisioned this intervention, the Mayor of Athens, Elaionas is turning into a lung of sports, greenery, culture, but and economic activity”noted Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

“This is exactly what we are doing today by transferring this space to its natural owner, the Municipality of Athens and predicting that this ambitious plan for the double redevelopment will soon become a reality and the image, now, that we will see here in this space will not it will be an image of abandonment and decline, but an image of development and creation”, said the Prime Minister.

“We are talking about a radical change on a very large scale. Almost half of it will be green and in the center of it will of course be the state-of-the-art stadium, finally acquired by the Athens team, Panathinaikos. Visitors will move there through open routes and smart means of transport, while provision is also made for organized car parking. At the same time, the surrounding road arteries will be freed from the traffic suffocation that those who move in Kifissos are experiencing today”, noted the Prime Minister.

“Citizens remember the immigration crisis of 2015-2019 and the effects of this crisis on local communities. Elaionas is a symbol of the time of crisis, a structure that today closes and returns to the citizens of Athens. The government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis set two measurable goals: firstly, the substantial reduction of flows and secondly, the drastic limitation of the effects of the crisis on local societies, implementing a strict but fair migration policy”said the Minister of Immigration and Asylum Notis Mitarakis. “We implemented decongestion on the islands. We are implementing decongestion in Athens”, he added.

“Elaionas, the “backyard” of Athens, which for decades experienced abandonment and indifference, today finally wins the right to life. It is an extremely important day because it opens the way for the Double Regeneration. There is an opportunity to build a new city within the city and the area to move forward, and on Alexandra Avenue where we gain a precious lung of green“, noted for his part, among others, the Mayor of Athens Kostas Bakoyannis.

The deactivation of the Eleonas structure and its handover to the Municipality of Athens it is part of the broader policy of releasing spaces that were used by the National Reception System and utilizing them for the needs of local communities, as the goal of drastically reducing immigration flows has been achieved over the last three years. It is noted that the arrivals, which in 2018 reached 46,000 and had exceeded 1 million in the three-year period 2015-2017, this year do not exceed 15,100.

In the summer of 2019, there were 121 anarchic structures where about 90,000 people lived, while today, after the closure of Eleonas, there are 32 closed controlled structures that house about 16,000 residents. The decongestion of reception centers has also been achieved thanks to the speeding up of the asylum process, with the result that the backlog has been reduced from 202,000 cases in the summer of 2019 to less than 24,000 in October.

The ceremony was also attended by the Deputy Minister of Immigration and Asylum responsible for Integration, Sofia Vultepsithe General Secretary for Reception of Asylum Seekers Manolis Logothetis.

The entire speech of the Prime Minister:

Mr. Mayor, Mr. Minister, Madam Deputy Minister, ladies and gentlemen, today is indeed a special day, Mr. Mayor, for Athens and the whole of Attica, not only because a huge area, almost 10 thousand acres, is given to its residents, to begin a double regeneration, which will simultaneously upgrade life in the center of the capital. But why even here in Botanikos, in the area where we are, we can see the tangible results of two policies that are unfolding in parallel: The right choices of the state in immigration and the bold planning for a better everyday life in the capital, but also in the entire western basin.

I would say, therefore, that it is not simply – as Mr. Mayor said – a double and necessary reconstruction, but a double and timely response. On the one hand, the country is gradually freed from the immigration structures of the past, while on the other hand, with a central planner and the man who envisioned this intervention, the Mayor of Athens, Elaionas is turning into a lung of sports, greenery, culture, but and economic activity. With interventions in public infrastructures that respond to the needs not only of the Municipality of Athens, but also of neighboring municipalities, but above all with secured financing and with a clear and multi-year construction schedule.

Of course, 27, I emphasize this, 27 whole years have passed since the first declaration that Elaionas will become an oasis of life from the center of industrial pollution, to be followed by many regulatory plans, Presidential Decrees and discussions upon discussions. And yet, throughout this time, the historical Elaionas continued to emit an image of decline, an image of abandonment. Abandoned factories – we still see them all around us – dilapidated shacks, plots of rubbish and rubble and between them a mosaic of economic activities, from barns and foundries to depots. And all this just two kilometers from Omonia.

But all of this, we want to hope, will soon be images from the past, because here we are talking about a radical change on a very large scale. Almost half of it will be green and in the center of it will of course be the state-of-the-art stadium, finally acquired by the Athens team, Panathinaikos. Visitors will move there through open routes and smart means of transport, while provision is also made for organized car parking.

At the same time, the surrounding roads will be freed from the traffic suffocation currently experienced by those who move in Kifissos and for this, a coordination of the central state, the Region and all the municipalities will certainly be required in order to proceed simultaneously with important projects of opening roads and shaping public spaces . While in order to complete this effort, many transport companies will have to relocate. The planning speaks of relocation to the Tribe, the property has been found, the contract has been signed, the resources have been identified, so that a modern transportation hub can be established there and not here.

Finally, a parallel benefit for the capital is that once the new headquarters of Panathinaikos is built, the area of ​​the current stadium on Alexandras Avenue will apparently be freed up, which in turn will be transformed into an open green space, substantially improving both traffic as well as the daily life of the residents in the center.

We are therefore talking about an intersection that concerns not only the Municipality of Athens but the entire basin, for which the local Self-Government and the relevant Ministries worked correctly and quickly. They all deserve warm congratulations.

And, of course, I want to point out the multi-layered nature of this work. It is obviously developmental because it mobilizes significant European public and private funds, creates many new jobs, but it is also obviously social as it upgrades the lives of millions of Athenians by arming Attica as a whole with valuable infrastructure. Whereas – as I said and as the Minister also said – the handing over of this space today to the Municipality of Athens also symbolizes the successful management of the immigration problem.

Do you remember the situation we received when the Greek people entrusted us with the governance of the country in July 2019. I want to remind you that then we received 121 usually miserable facilities. By the end of the year we will have 31, only 31 organized hosting spaces. The total arrivals in 2021 and 2022 were the lowest of the decade, and at the same time – as the Minister also said – the asylum procedures were significantly accelerated, residence permits are issued quickly, 202,000, if I am not mistaken, pending asylum applications, we have reached fewer from 20. And of course we implemented, and I want to personally congratulate the Deputy Minister for this, a national strategy for the protection of unaccompanied minors, through which thousands of children were relocated from unacceptable conditions to modern structures, many of these structures have characteristics which would be the envy of many European countries, while many children relocated to European countries that accepted to host them. 16,000, therefore, just those residing today in the centers, the 31 centers, out of the 90,000 that we had received.

And of course, I distinctly remember, Mr. Mayor, my first visit here in Eleonas. 2,500 immigrants resided in this structure in problematic conditions despite the honorable efforts of all who worked to keep this structure functional. And I remember very well our first meeting, when you raised with me the issue of the necessity to finally close this structure that was in the center of Athens, you said it in such an imperative way, you asked for it, about a year ago. I had pledged then that we would grant this request of yours because it was right and because there was no longer a need to keep this structure open.

This is exactly what we are doing today by transferring this space to its natural owner, the Municipality of Athens and predicting that this ambitious plan for the double regeneration will soon become a reality and the image, now, that we will see here in this space will not it is an image of abandonment and decline, but an image of growth and creation.

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