Completed Delivery-Receiving Ceremony at the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum between Maki Voridis and the new minister Thanou Plevrisafter Mr Voridis’ resignation on his case OPECEPE.

Considering his new duties, Mr Plevris stressed: “We will continue in the orders we have received with the Prime Minister and a policy that the country wanted to pursue in 2019, but then Europe was not ready, to believe in a strict, harsh, fair immigration policy. I was fortunate in the House to see the presentation of the basic principles of the bill mentioned by Mr Voridis, and this is actually condensed to the fact that anyone who comes here and is not asylum beneficiary, his choices are either to return to his country or go to prison. We need to be a little clear in the following direction: a logic that many consider that the Ministry of Immigration, because it cannot control flows, in the sense that it does not have the port or cannot have other issues that relate to deterrence, that it works pretty much as a hotel procedure for them, Beneficiaries will be the ones who can have asylum. One of our basic principles to achieve this is the enhancement of legal immigration. That is, there must be procedures so that people who want to work can come here. But those that we want and those we choose and in no way can we be hostage to smugglers and come here a situation that we need to manage in a badly meant process of humanity. That is, I do not care about the laws, I think I will do whatever I want because I just came to my country. Consequently, to the extent of which I have taken, but also of continuing, the work that has been done, the ministry’s key priority can be condensed to the principles: returns, fighting illegal immigration. “

Mr. Voridis thanked the staff of the Ministry And he made a brief account of the work done by his assumption, stressing that the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum is a ministry that manages complex and regional issues.

“In this short period of time we were not able to implement much but the truth is that from the first moment we had to address an issue that arose with the Council of State and the annulment of the Joint Ministerial Decision on the issue of the safe country, which greatly affects asylum issues. Thus, after this annulment of the decision, the new decision was issued, which I consider to be justified and that I consider to win it in the Council of State, “Mr Voridis said, referring to the draft law on illegal immigration, which is expected to be put in public consultation, and still in public consultation. Mr Voridis even talked about increased flows in Crete, pointing out that decisions on the issue should be taken, and also referred to the work to be done at the ministry next time.