The Greek government announced on Monday that it will hire 400 border guards for Evros borders in the northeast, 500 staff for asylum services on the islands and the mainland and 800 guards for the borders on the islands and for hotspots.
The announcement was made by Citizen Protection Minister, Michalis Chryssochoidis during a meeting held by Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis with Greece’s 13 regional governors to discuss the faster absorption and utilisation of The National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) funds and the migrant/refugee issue.
"As funds are transformed in a timely manner into proper works, the region's responsibilities will also rise," Mitsotakis explained. "As the responsibilities bring results, so will state credits to the region increase. This is what effective management and responsibility requires - it's something we promised the Greek people and something that will help Greece's development overall."
In reference to the migration and refugee issue, the Prime Minister said that his “government follows a different policy" and noted that the new refugee asylum law is stricter. He mentioned among others the guarding of borders and the creation of controlled centres where migrants await return.
"We are not blowing up the issue, but we don't underestimate it, either," Mitsotakis said, and called on regional directors to show solidarity with the islands. "I can't be fighting a battle and asking for solidarity from Europe when there is none among us," he noted.