The Greek Minister of Immigration and Asylum denies his country’s rejection of refugees arriving in his country
Notis Mitarakis, the Greek Minister of Immigration and Asylum, rejected the accusations leveled against his country regarding forcible return or the expulsion of migrants, considering Turkey a safe country for migrants.
“The allegations affecting Greece are clearly unfounded, and are based on footage or testimonies provided by the country of departure,” Mitarax said.
“In many cases, including by the European Union, we have investigated and found no evidence of any violation of the fundamental rights of the European Union,” Mitarakis said in a statement.
He added: “Greece is committed to protecting its borders, and will continue to do so as a sovereign responsibility, in line with European and international law, and we have every right to intercept these crossings in accordance with European Union Circular No. 656/14, and Greece does not want to be the gateway for smuggling networks to Europe.”
Last week, Amnesty International called on the public to sign a new petition in an attempt to urge immediate action, in an open letter to the Greek government.
