Greek minister claims NGOs to blame for arrival of undocumented Somali migrants

·

Greece’s migration minister on Tuesday pointed the finger at unnamed nongovernmental organisations for facilitating the illegal crossing of dozens of undocumented Somali migrants from Turkey into Greece.

Speaking to foreign correspondents in Athens, Notis Mitarakis said that the ministry has “witness testimony and confirmed information” that NGOs were helping Somali asylum seekers travel to Turkey and from there helped arrange their crossing to Greece via migrant smuggling networks.

“NGOs pat for the cost of travel and the issuance of a Visa to Turkey, with flights to Istanbul. Then [the migrants] are transported to the Turkish coast, where migrant smugglers, again with NGO support, help them enter the European Union illegally,” Mitarakis said, without providing additional details.

“These crossing must be prevented by any legal means. We do not want our country to become a gateway to Europe,” he said.

Since November 1, 142 of the 214 migrant arrivals in Lesbos have been from Somalia, according to news24/7.gr.

The migration minister placed blame on the Turkish coast guard for the death of two women off the coast of Lesvos last week.

Mitarakis says the migrants are coming to Greece with “unsuitable boats and people, without permission and with complete ignorance of the rules of the sea”.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

How Maih Porfyri’s career pivot took her from fashion to the Paralympics

Maih Porfyri had only been in her job for a few months before she was whisked away on a trip to Paris to cover the Paralympic Games.

My partner doesn’t speak Greek – Can we still raise bilingual kids?

You can absolutely raise bilingual children, even if only one parent speaks Greek. Across the world, countless families do so successfully.

Joint bank accounts: Who gets the money?

All people named in a joint account are privy to the money by Law. Most of us have opened accounts at various bank branches.

Vergina considered among the world’s most mysterious destinations

Featured alongside global wonders, Vergina earns its place through a mystery that has eluded scholars for centuries.

Gender in Modern Greek: Dr Angeliki Alvanoudi to give online seminar

The aim of the seminar is to examine the role of Greek gendered terms in sustaining social gender ideologies that reinforce sexism.

You May Also Like

New era for Philhellene restaurant at Moonee Ponds

Moonee Ponds' legendary Greek restaurant is embarking on an exciting new chapter under the stewardship of Paul Chatzis

3,500-year-old settlement and massive ancient Greek structure found in Croatia

Archaeologists have uncovered a settlement in Stobreč, a village near Split, Croatia. A Greek rampart was among the discoveries.

Confusion grows as single-use plastic bag ban comes into effect in NSW tomorrow

Marking a major pivot away from single-use plastics, the NSW Government’s ban on lightweight plastic bags will come into force tomorrow.