Using a folksy Greek phrase, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reiterated on Friday that Greece is reaching its limits regarding the refugee and migrant crisis.
”Greece has its strengths, but it is not an unfenced vineyard,” was the exact phrase of the Greek Premier, meaning that the country is not a ”come one, come all” country which must accept any and all migrants.
PM Mitsotakis said that Greece is at the very heart of the migration problem, noting that the need for a national strategy that will help the country deal with all possible scenarios is necessary.
Η Ελλάδα υιοθετεί αυστηρότερη πολιτική στα σύνορα: Συγκροτείται Ενιαίος Φορέας Επιτήρησης Συνόρων. Προσλαμβάνονται 1200 συνοριοφύλακες. Μπαίνει σε λειτουργία το Εθνικό Σύστημα Ολοκληρωμένης Θαλάσσιας Επιτήρησης. Και το Λιμενικό ενισχύεται με 10 υπερσύγχρονα ταχύπλοα. #vouli pic.twitter.com/oSeLywoRzg
— Kyriakos Mitsotakis (@kmitsotakis) November 22, 2019
”Our policy has changed. Borders guarded, controls are tightened, a new law speeds up asylum procedures,” Mitsotakis explained.
The Greek Premier told the country’s MPs that his speech on Thursday at the Conference of the European People’s Party (EPP) in Zagreb, Croatia was regarding this pressing issue.
”Yesterday at the EPP I devoted all my speech to the European dimension of the problem. I called for a change to the Dublin Convention. We cannot continue having countries enjoying the benefits of the EU, and Schengen, and at the same time refusing and stubbornly denying even the least sharing of the problem,” the Greek PM noted.
The speech was given during the ”Prime Minister’s Hour” of a sitting of the Greek Parliament, following a question asked by KINAL leader Fofi Genimmata to the PM about the refugee and migrant issue.
Προωθείται η αποσυμφόρηση των νησιών μας που δοκιμάζονται, με μεταφορά προσφύγων στην ενδοχώρα. Πρόκειται κυρίως για οικογένειες. Ενώ τα ασυνόδευτα παιδιά τίθενται, στο εξής, υπό ξεχωριστή φροντίδα και θα οριστεί για αυτά Εθνικός Συντονιστής της Κυβέρνησης. #vouli pic.twitter.com/XFtSTq0Puf
— Kyriakos Mitsotakis (@kmitsotakis) November 22, 2019
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