“In practice, it legalizes all illegal immigrants who have been in Greece for 3 years,” the former prime minister emphasizes and adds: “With this amendment, our country becomes, in fact, a beacon for attracting illegal immigrants”
The former prime minister and current MP of the New Democracy expressed his opposition to the amendment submitted for the residence and work permit for immigrants. Antonis Samaras.
Mr. Samaras characterizes the amendment as “surprising” and “wrong”, stressing that “in practice it legalizes all illegal immigrants who have been in Greece for 3 years”.
The former prime minister’s statement in more detail:
“The surprise filing of an amendment that grants a “new type of residence permit for work to citizens of third countries” is wrong. In practice, it legalizes all illegal immigrants who have been in Greece for 3 years! And in fact, arrested, without substantial verification of the identity of each one by the State! And this at a time when immigration is shocking all of Europe, which is looking for a stricter policy!
I fail to understand why our government is making the ability to grant residence and work permits to illegal immigrants even more flexible. Even to those whose asylum application has been rejected! Even if they have a passport, “even if it has expired”… And the granting of permits becomes mandatory, and is not at the discretion of the competent authorities, as is the case until today. I remind you that our government in 2012-2014 had established a legal framework that provided, under very strict conditions, for the granting of a residence permit only if applicants completed 7 years of continuous presence in the country. And even SYRIZA maintained this regime…
Our country, with this amendment, becomes, in essence, a beacon for attracting illegal immigrants.
The need to solve the hand labor problem can be done through the domestic potential. And of course with legal immigration and transnational agreements of a certain time where immigrants will return to their countries. And it is completely wrong to hear that the solution to the demographic problem can be the legalization of illegal immigrants! Greece is a country, not a place! I ask the government to withdraw the said amendment and reconsider the whole issue.”
Source: Skai
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