Syrian citizens’ volunteer return capabilities and the new return regulation were discussed, inter alia, to the Council of Ministers of the Interior and Migration of the European Union at Luxembourgin which the Minister of Immigration and Asylum participated, Thanos Plevris.
During his speech, the minister referred to Greece’s position on returns, where it is also the first priority for the country. He emphasized that he supports both volunteer and forced returns, demanding the strengthening of common return procedures through Frontex and International Organization for Migration (DOM).
Referring to the refund regulation, Mr Plevris pointed out that Greece has already been integrated into its national law relevant provisions, pointing out that “Our policy is now clearly reflected in the doctrine of” prison or return “ยป. As he said, the country has criminalized the illegal residence, with a prison sentence of 2 to 5 years, and the first positive return results are already being recorded.
Concerning the review of Syrian asylum applications, he noted that “our country is already proceeding with the process or non -renewal of the international protection regime, as conditions in Syria have changed substantially.”
At the same time, he expressed his concern about the state of Christian populations in Syria, stressing that “the populations that are now in danger are not the Muslims, but the Christians. Consequently, those who have received asylum in previous years for security reasons are not at the same risk. “
Mr Plevris also mentioned asylum for the three -month suspension of asylum applications for illegal immigrants arriving in Greece from North Africa, which expires today, noting that, despite the criticism he received, he gave significant results. As he noted, before the implementation of the measure, namely the first ten days of July, “2,642 people had entered the country, and after its implementation the flows declined significantly in the months of August and September”.
In closing, the minister stressed that Greece’s priority remains, as well as the support of the common European framework and mutual recognition of return decisions between Member States.
On the sidelines of the Council, Mr Plevris had bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Sweden, Bulgaria and the Netherlands, in which they exchanged views on current developments in European Union immigration policy.
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