Panagiotopoulos: Migration flows are not increased in comparison with last year

The minister said the good weather was partly responsible for an increase in migration flows, noting that they will be higher in September and October also if the weather remains good, as was the case last year. "Flows were high during this period last year as well. They are not higher in comparison with the respective period last year," he said.

The minister noted that traffickers in the South Aegean, "run an efficient operation, so to speak, in terms of the trafficking of undocumented migrants. For this reason I have always supported, and the day before yesterday, when I spoke for about an hour on the phone with my Turkish counterpart, we agreed that this is a criminal activity, a unequivocally criminal activity, that must be fought, if possible with Greek-Turkish cooperation." 

He said that the cooperation with Turkiye should intensify "because as long crime prevails or brings results, there will be obviously be a greater need for cooperation to tackle the illegal trafficking rings".

Panagiotopoulos spoke about legal migration and agricultural workers, describing this as a great challenge, as it was essential for the Greek economy. "There is a great need in construction, in primary production, in a couple of months the olives must be harvested," he said, adding that there is a great shortage of staff and already the agricultural cooperatives are bringing a group of workers from third countries for this purpose, but this needs to be done in a more organised way.

AMNA