Fence in Euro The Minister of Immigration and Asylum said that it would be extended by about 80 km. Notis Mitarakis.

Speaking to radio station SKAI, Mr. Mitarakis noted that the island of Evros is not Greek territory, according to SYRIZA. He pointed out that both the Army Geographical Service and the Land Registry clearly stated that the footprint left by the immigrants was outside Greek territory.

He also pointed out that Greece cannot be a free vine, and Turkey is not a warring country. According to him, “humanism is very important, but there are hundreds of millions of people who want to come to the EU because of the existing inequality in the world.” “This is not about a closed Europe, but not about a Europe where smugglers will decide who will come,” he added.

Regarding the arrival of migrants on other islands such as Kythira, he stated that the constant patrols in the Aegean, as well as the fencing on Evros, forced traffickers to look for other routes using the Evros islets.

According to figures provided by Mr. Mitarakis, 18,000 immigrants are currently housed in the country’s hotel structures, up from 92,000 in 2020. According to him, out of 121 existing structures, 34 are currently operating throughout the country.

Regarding refugee flows, he said that “last year we had the lowest number of arrivals in the last decade – 8,500 migrants.” This year is expected to be the second-lowest year for immigration flows in a decade, with 7,000 immigrants so far, Mr. Mitarakis added.

Finally, he noted that on December 31, all apartments allocated to asylum seekers throughout the country will be vacated, since the corresponding program has been completed.

“Elionas will close”

Meanwhile, referring to Elionas via Twitter, in which he also posted two videos, Mr. Mitarakis noted that “immigrants and people of solidarity are threatening our employees, this is unacceptable and the structure will definitely be closed.”

#Elayona pic.twitter.com/oZ7FO1Dxhk

— Notis Mitarakis (@nmitarakis) August 19, 2022

^{According to information from skai.gr}