Regarding the farmers’ issue, Georgiadis’ statements about Amnesty International and the International Criminal Court in The Hague, as well as pushbacks, Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris spoke on Parapolitika 90.1 radio show “She and I” with Thanasis Fouskidis and Stella Gantona. Mr. Plevris initially stated that the government has responded to a large portion of farmers’ demands, while leaving open the possibility of activating judicial provisions if there continues to be no willingness for dialogue from the other side.
Thanos Plevris on farmers: The government wants dialogue and de-escalation
“Obviously, if we continue to discuss in terms of traffic restrictions, the required sanctions may be imposed,” Mr. Plevris emphasized, adding that our first concern must be the safety of people who are traveling. “The government wants dialogue and de-escalation, and now we see farmers who want to discuss,” he noted.
“The government is rightly trying to achieve de-escalation, otherwise there will need to be the required escalation from the state’s side. If it appears there is no willingness for discussion, all measures must be imposed to return the roads to citizens,” he said characteristically.
When asked why there were so many farmers receiving money without controls, Mr. Plevris said “we have accepted political responsibility. The main aspect of OPEKEPE’s problem has to do with some people receiving money they weren’t entitled to. Controls will be conducted on everyone. And those who took money illegally and are on the streets are at least provocative.”
On migration flows to Crete
According to Mr. Plevris, there are now fewer than 500 people in Crete, despite the fact that overall flows in the last fortnight were very large.
As the minister said, tough measures have paid off, but Crete has a particular characteristic. “A reduction was achieved, but the Libya component is worrying because we don’t have an interlocutor and the required controls don’t exist.” Mr. Plevris emphasized that we are closing the year with a 24% reduction in migration flows, while this reduction reaches 45% in the last five months.
On pushbacks
“Criticizing international and European bodies doesn’t mean we don’t respect the entirety of judicial decisions or the decisions themselves,” the Migration and Asylum Minister subsequently said, aligning with Adonis Georgiadis’ position regarding pushbacks.
It should be noted that in a post by the Health Minister, criticizing Amnesty International and the International Criminal Court in The Hague, he emphasized that he sides with “European forces and 9 European prime ministers who ask to reconsider the issue of pushbacks that are considered illegal by the International Court of Human Rights.”
