Government prepares “master plan” to tackle immigration crisis

Alternate Citizen Protection Minister for Migration Policy, George Koumoutsakos announced that the Mitsotakis government was preparing a comprehensive “master plan” tackling all aspects of the migration and refugee issue.

The announcement was made following an inter-ministerial meeting at the citizen protection ministry and comes in the wake of an observed hike in migrant and refugee arrivals in recent months, which increased as much as 114% in June-August period, compared with the previous year.

It included 7,055 arrivals by land and sea in August, the highest number of arrivals since the implementation of the EU-Turkey Joint Statement.

Koumoutsakos said the meeting had noted the multiple aspects of this problem and the government will soon be in a position to present a central plan outlining policies and measures for this issue.

The meeting was convened following instructions issued by the Prime Minister at the previous week’s Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence (KYSEA). It was attended by Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister for coordinating the government’s work Akis Skertsos and the Secretary General for Coordinating Policies for the Interior Athanasios Kontogeorgis, as well as officials from a number of ministry’s involved in migration issues.