Candidate Member of Parliament Fthiotidas, Giannis Oikonomouemphasized on Saturday morning to ERT that the national is not allowed to be compromised for small parties, while he clarified that Greece applies a strict but fair immigration policy with better results compared to the period 2015-19 and the authorities and our Coast Guard to save people in the Aegean, at the same time guarding our borders.

It is a tragic event that has brought us face to face with conditions of mourning and shock for the unjust loss of so many of our fellow human beings. It emphatically brings to the surface the effects of the immigration crisis. We all agree that, among other things, the international community, the European Union, should also throw its burden on the countries of departure and departure of the migrants with interventions, policies and even financial aid that reach the people directly and do not go through the oligarchs, circuits or systems that rule there.

A number of different approaches and understandings emerged regarding the management of immigration. There is a portion of our fellow citizens – both in Greece, but also in the world – let’s call it rightsists, who claim that those people who are forced to leave, search, find the way and risk their lives and should open the borders and let everyone in within the country. They support this view in the name of humanitarianism or international law. We argue that this – if it ever happened – would constitute a waterhole for humanity, because our country – and no country without a wider consensus – could not offer conditions of decent living and security to all these people. On the contrary, conditions would be created for the dissolution of local society and the impoverishment of all: citizens, refugees and immigrants.

There is a political dividing line. It was highlighted by the position of Mr. Tsipras yesterday, but also all these days, with the attempt to defend the immigration policy on the part of the former Prime Minister in the period 2015-2019. It is obviously his right to defend the policy pursued by his Government, which – in our opinion and I think it is shared by the vast majority of Greek society – had disastrous results for the country, the local communities and especially our islands.

It has had unbecoming results in terms of the treatment of both refugees and immigrants here. Flows that exceeded 800-900 thousand, structures that did not honor our country in Moria, in Idomeni, immigrants who “sunbathed”, 5000 unaccompanied children who were either in Moria, or in Idomeni, or in some detention centers, or on the street . Totally time-consuming procedures in terms of asylum, wrong messages that the flows can come here and Greece becoming a country of transit and reception of 75% of the flows to Europe, when today this percentage is much lower: 800 -900k a year then, less than 40k now. Mr. Tsipras was emphatic in his support for this policy.

We implement a strict, but fair, immigration policy, which I think has brought better results to the country, compared to what Greece experienced in 2015 to 2019.

The great objection and what one should not allow is to attempt, based on this tragedy, to instrumentalize it, so that out of ignorance, naivety or oppositionalism the prestige of the country will be damaged. Unfortunately, in the Official Opposition party there are many – Mr. Papadimoulis is the most typical example – with insinuations heard by people who are not experts, do not have the whole picture, insist on ignoring the explanations and interpretations of the Coast Guard and give basis to other scenarios. As it happened in the past, for example with the case of “little Maria”. It’s a tactic that hurts the country – it’s unfair as far as Greece and its people are concerned – and the security authorities who save people in the Aegean, at the same time guarding our borders.”