The Minister of Migration and Asylum Nikos Panagiotopoulos, in an interview with ANA-MPA, pointed out that there is no possibility of mass returns to Greece from Western European countries. “Neither have we been proposed nor do we accept mass returns of migrants from Western Europe,” he said.
Panagiotopoulos stressed the need not only to have stricter asylum rules but also to increase security at European borders.
He pointed out that the return of asylum seekers whose applications have been definitively rejected must be stepped up. At the same time, he also referred to the concerns raised by the development of a new migratory corridor from the North African coast to Crete.
In his interview with ANA-MPA, Panagiotopoulos outlined a plan for a detention space where migrants entering Greece will be held until transferred to Identification Centres. He clarified that the facility, managed by the Greek Police, is not part of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum and will not process asylum requests but will focus on internal security and organized transportation of migrants.
