Voridis: Someone who is in the country illegally must be punished and indeed effectively, which means imprisonment

On Saturday morning, May 10, Minister of Immigration and Asylum Makis Voridis spoke with MEGA, highlighting that new migration regulations are a priority for the European Union. “The focus is on the return of illegal migrants and promoting voluntary returns, which necessitates a new legislative framework.”

“Migration issues progress in phases. SYRIZA had a contrasting approach, advocating for open borders and integration management. This shifted with the new government. My predecessors dealt with crises like those at Moria and Idomeni, confronting attempts by Erdogan to influx illegal immigrants. They concentrated on creating a system to manage migrant flows effectively.

“At that time, the priority was to establish control centers at entry points and ensuring efficient handling of asylum applications. It’s a monumental task, and border control is a matter of security policy. Under Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s initiative, border control has become a public debate topic, resulting in a new policy of active deterrence. We are entering a third phase—the return phase—where those identified as illegal must return home, requiring a more robust legislative framework.”

“Anyone in the country illegally must face consequences, which could include jail or administrative detention, with the option to suspend their sentence if they voluntarily leave.”

Voridis affirmed, “Illegal immigrants cannot remain in Greece or the European Union.”

Addressing the recent incidents of violence at the Athens Law School and Polytechnic City, he emphasized the importance of convincing university administrations to implement concrete administrative measures, which is a common practice worldwide. “The key to security is ensuring that universities act decisively.”

“The era of asylum is over; no such protection exists anymore. The focus is on the effective enforcement of laws. Incidents of violence in universities have significantly decreased, and the government’s target is to eliminate them entirely, with administrative actions and disciplinary measures being critical steps.”

Finally, Makis Voridis addressed the Tempi train tragedy that resulted in 57 fatalities, rejecting accusations of a government cover-up and claiming that the opposition is politically exploiting the incident. “I don’t believe the government has engaged in any cover-up. Rather, there is excessive political exploitation of this emotionally charged issue. I am not aware of any government acting with such transparency and integrity in a similar situation, especially one that refers a sitting member to a special court—such a precedent is unheard of.”