The Deputy Minister of Migration and Asylum, Sevi Voloudaki, referred to the situation that has developed in Crete as well as the government’s actions to substantially relieve Crete from migration flows, speaking to the ERTNEWS Newsroom.
Ms. Voloudaki stressed that the immediate priority is the transfer of new arrivals to inland structures. Since Monday, 200 people have already been transferred per day, with 136 from Chania, 166 from Heraklion and 116 from Rethymno, while planning continues with the aim of another 350 people in total leaving Crete by the weekend. “The relief of Crete begins with specific transfers that are already taking place,” she noted.
She added that, at the national level, migration flows have decreased by 30% compared to last year, while on the islands of the Eastern Aegean the reduction reaches approximately 40%, which proves the effectiveness of the government strategy.
Referring to the work of the Coast Guard, she underlined that “its men and women are on the front lines every day, facing war conditions in the Aegean, to protect the maritime borders and save human lives”.
The Deputy Minister also noted that “when there are geopolitical developments and open energy issues, such as the Chevron case and the illegal Turkish-Libyan memorandum, smugglers rush to exploit them, intensifying the pressures”.
Finally, the Deputy Minister emphasized that “migration is a dynamic phenomenon and that is why at the Ministry we are reprogramming and revising our strategy according to the actual data, in order to provide realistic and applicable solutions.”
