Migration minister Kairidis: Legal migration can benefit Greek national interests

ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ

Συντονίζονται στο μεταναστευτικό οι 5 χώρες του ευρωπαϊκού νότου, απαιτούν ευρωπαϊκή στήριξη και χρηματοδότηση-Δηλώσεις Καιρίδη

9th Delphi Economic Forum: Kairidis on legal routes of migration

Καιρίδης στο Οικονομικό Φόρουμ των Δελφών: Δεν θέλουμε ανοιχτά σύνορα, είμαστε υπέρ μιας μετανάστευσης οργανωμένης

The government’s goal is to prevent criminal human trafficking rings from establishing who gets to enter Europe or not, at national and European level, newly appointed Migration and Asylum Minister Dimitris Kairidis said on Saturday in Greek Parliament.

Speaking on the last of three days in which the government presented its policy program for its second term, Kairidis distinguished between irregular and legal migration. “Migration as irregular is a problem that requires management. As legal, however, with rules and checks, based on Greece’s national priorities alone, is a great challenge that requires management to the benefit of the national interest, Greek society, and the economy,” he said.

On these terms, the New Democracy migration and asylum policy is based on four principles, which he outlined as follows:

a) Greece’s obligations as those emanate from international agreements it has signed, and from the government’s choice to lead its foreign policy on the principle of respect of International Law;
b) Greece’s security and that of its borders;
c) social cohesion and the smooth integration of migrants; and
d) developing needs of the Greek economy.

Labor shortages

Kairidis said that the government’s basic priority is to fight irregular migration, to contribute to international initiatives supervising the Mediterranean, but to also “create and boost legal migration routes.”

Among other issues, the minsiter said it was time to see the migration issue honestly and take note of the fact that the Greek economy, in its rapid development, was experiencing shortages of labor in specific sectors such as agriculture, tourism, food places, and construction. As he told Parliament, non-centralized administrations were inundated by requests for seasonal workers. A total of 140,000 such requests have been made, he said, of which 110,000 relate to farm labor. Greece will also need to attract specialized staff in sectors of high technology, as other countries are currently doing, he noted.

Speaking of the new migration and asylum code under discussion at the European Union, the Migration minister said, “We have a lot of ground to cover for a cohesive – the only effective – policy with joint rules, funding, solidarity and enforced regulations, including a joint and robust mechanism for mandatory repatriation of those who enter the EU irregularly. 

“At present, however, I appeal to the opposition forces, which are represented in the European Parliament, to support the agreement there, because despite justified objections, the alternative is the existing situation that is far less satisfactory,” Kairidis said, addressed to the opposition parties.

Speaking of Turkiye, Kairidis underlined, “We are under no delusions but we also want to exhaust all possibilities of collaboration in good faith – and we can, through the European Union – to help our neighboring country manage its own massive migration and refugee problem, especially today, following the catastrophic earthquake in February.”

Source: ANA – MPA

Bill on relief measures expected to be posted this week for consultation