“The conditions in closed facilities are prison-like conditions,” emphasized Migration Minister Thanos Plevris, adding “when we took this measure with closed facilities, we had a 300% increase.” Speaking about the new immigration bill, he stressed “we believe it will not be a magnet for migrants” and that Europe’s direction is toward stricter measures.
The minister also referred, speaking to ERT, to detention centers funded by Europe in third countries. “Generally, Europe’s overall direction is toward stricter measures and we have supported a discussion that has opened, that there should be – and we have already proposed this – accommodation or detention centers outside Europe, in third countries, so that people coming to Europe remain there. These centers should be funded by the European Union and at the same time, if someone wants to apply for asylum, they should apply in third countries and be examined centrally by the European Union, so that we don’t have the phenomena of transfers,” he stated.
He reminded that we don’t have the migration flow that was observed in the first days of July. “Those who have come are detained,” he noted and added that “the flows from Crete were not calculated flows, they were excessive, something that justified a dynamic measure. It also takes time for the message to reach.”
