Alternate Minister of Migration Policy Koumoutsakos: refugee crisis on Samos "unsustainable"

Alternate Minister of Migration Policy Giorgos Koumoutsakos on Friday visited the island of Samos where he described the refugee crisis as "unsustainable".

Koumoutsakos made the comments following his visit to the island's refugee reception and identification centre.

In a press statement, the Minister expressed his concern on conditions there, calling the town of Vathi "a besieged city".

In the same press statement Koumoutsakos stressed that "our intention and commitment is to radically change this unacceptable image on the islands" and summed up the government's policy of "accelerating procedures for processing asylum applications, either granting or rejecting asylum."

He stressed that it is "unreasonable and unacceptable" for someone who applied for asylum three years ago to be scheduled for the first interview in 2021.

Finally, the minister explained that the speeding up of these procedures will allow the Greek state to "distinguish those who have a justified refugee profile and are entitled to asylum status, from those who illegally enter the country," and underlined that "the former have the right to stay, while the latter must leave as soon as possible