The national objective of preventing migratory flows and the need to reinforce the Coast Guard were at the center of the meeting held today between the Ministers of Migration & Asylum, Maki Voridisand shipping & island policy, Basil Kikilia.
During the debate, the two ministers also referred to the possibility of sanctions on non -governmental organizations involved in acts of illegal trafficking of immigrants. This was discussed on the occasion of relevant files pending at various levels of justice and concern the role of some NGOs in Greece.
“Treating illegal immigration is a matter of national security and requires active deterrence and close cooperation,” Mr Voridis noted, stressing the decisive contribution of the Coast Guard.
For his part, Mr Kikilias stressed that “the guard of 18,500 miles of maritime borders is a national objective and priority of the government”, while raising the issue of transparency in the role and funding of non -governmental organizations.
Makis Voridis: The main strategic goal is to address illegal immigration, which is linked to effective border guarding
“We had the pleasure and honor to welcome here, at the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum, the Minister of Maritime and Island Policy, Mr. Vassilis Kikilia and my good friend. The two ministries have close cooperation with each other. We have close cooperation, because we have strategic goals that link us, “said Minister of Migration and Asylum Makis Voridis in his statements and said:
“The first and basic strategic goal is to tackle illegal immigration, which is linked to the effective border guard, which is also directly linked to the protection of citizens’ security, as well as public order and national security. These are our central strategic goals and I must thank the minister and on his face the entire Coast Guard for the enormous effort that is being made daily, which I hope will be widely understood by public opinion. The enormous battle that our ports fight every day, with acts of active deterrence, which they give every day to stop the circuits of illegal traffickers, with very significant successes, because we have the arrests of such traffickers almost daily. So, it is a huge battle that the people of the Port Authority fight, often with the risk of their lives. We recently had an incident where the Ports of the Port Authority from the traffickers, by Turkish traffickers, were in fire.
This cooperation is not only at the strategic level; we also have a cooperation that has funding programs, with which the Ministry of Immigration supports actions and equipment, and strengthens the Coast Guard. We are very proud of our participation; we will continue it undisturbed and seamlessly, because it serves our strategic goal.
The Minister, in addition to the level of this close cooperation, was kindness of raising another issue, which for us is also important. If there are NGO members who are in any way linked by illegal trafficking of immigrants, beyond the criminal of the thing, if there are such files made by the Coast Guard and concerning Non -Governmental Organizations, which in any way are funded by the Ministry of immigration, so that the Ministry is funded by the Ministry, They are cut. It is something I have requested further information from the Minister. We have consulted that this information will be made and, if a legislative initiative is needed in this direction of the Ministry of Immigration, it is something we will do immediately. “
(Gr.
Vasilis Kikilias: We are in the same line in everything that has to do with the need to guard our marine borders
For his part, the Minister of Maritime and Island Policy thanked Mr. Voridis “for the noble goodness of his invitation to his ministry” and said: “We are in the same line in terms of the need to guard our maritime borders. We have 18,500 miles of coastline and maritime borders to be kept, and this is the work of the Coast Guard and my own responsibility, but it is directly related to his ministry, and we will, of course, work with what is needed, because he is a national goal. “
Pretace, Mr Kikilias, said that “I asked the Chief Minister – as I had announced a few days ago – to see in their entirety these files, which are at various levels of justice and pending in relation to the role of NGOs in Greece, in what they have to do with what they have to do with their contexts.”
“I think it is crucial to the country’s internal security and how we will be able to implement the government’s policy in immigration.”
The meeting was attended by the Deputy Minister of Immigration & Asylum, Sevi Voloudakis, the Secretary General of Asylum seekers, Dimitris Glymis, and the Secretary General of Shipping and Ports, Evangelos Kyriazopoulos.