Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris addressed the migration issue, with the situation appearing improved in Crete, which had received many illegal migrants from Libya. According to the minister, **after the amendment suspending asylum application processing was passed**, **”in 25 days, only one-third of the people who arrived in the first 8 days of July have reached the island.”**
*Plevris on migration: situation improved in Crete*
Speaking to MEGA TV, the minister said characteristically: *”In the first week of July when there was no decision to suspend asylum, in 8 days (July 1-9) 2,462 people entered. Since then, fewer than 900 have entered, with 500 arriving in the first days after the amendment was passed.”*
What caused the change
According to Thanos Plevris, **this change is due to *”3 factors:***
*1. There was intensive diplomacy from the Foreign Minister for cooperation with Libyan authorities, and at this moment it appears to be better*
*2. There was a clear message. In the first week when there were pressing flows, there were mobile phone messages that the journey to Greece was safe and borders were open. Those who entered after the amendment are not hosted guests, they are detainees in prison-like conditions, so the message was sent*
*3. The weather, but this is supplementary because during this period there were at least 10-15 days of summer weather.”*
Thanos Plevris on migration: “*We are not complacent*”
The minister continued, sending a clear message: *”We are not complacent because trafficking networks may readjust their tactics and we must be prepared. Arrivals still exist but have been limited. According to sources from Libya, there are 3 million people on the country’s coasts and a corresponding number in Egypt. If we allowed a flow of 1,000 per day to Crete, this would have characteristics of an invasion.”*
As the Migration and Asylum Minister explained: *”We respect the right to asylum for those who deserve it, but from the Libya corridor, 60% of those coming were from safe countries that don’t justify asylum, and 90% were men aged 18-30, only 10% were children and women. We are essentially talking about economic migrants who want to enter Europe illegally.”*
He added that: *”When someone submitted an asylum application, whether they deserved it or not, a 6-month waiting process for deportation was required. Six months with flows of 1,000 people was an unmanageable situation. From the moment we don’t examine asylum applications, administrative detention and deportation papers are automatically issued.”*
Referring to returns, he said *”it’s the most difficult part for all European countries. We will start returns to safe countries like Egypt, Bangladesh, or Pakistan.”*
Concluding, Thanos Plevris announced that: *”At the end of August, a new bill will be voted on that will provide for anyone whose asylum is rejected either imprisonment for 2-5 years without suspension or payment, or they can advocate for return,”* adding that *”within the next two months we will have facilities for migrants in Crete and EU funding.”*
