Immigrant fishermen awarded citizenship for heroism during Mati conflagration

December 31, 2018
Written by E.Tsiliopoulos

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Immigrant fishermen awarded citizenship for heroism during Mati conflagration

On Wednesday, 2 January, the President of the Republic, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, will award Greek Citizenship to the three immigrant fishermen who, during the July 23 fire in Mati, showed unprecedented heroism and together with their Greek colleagues saved dozens of people who had fallen to the sea to escape from the flames.

They are Egyptιian El Haimim Emad, 50, his 46-year-old compatriot Ibrahim Moussa Mahmud and Albanian Jake Gani, 35 years old.

The self-sacrifice of the three immigrants had been reported by Prime Minister Alexis Tsopras himself during his visit to the region on September 4, and he had stressed that the state ought to recognize their actions and give them Greek citizenship.

In this context, the Minister of the Interior, Alexis Charitsis, instructed the Special Secretariat of Citizenship to proceed quickly with the necessary procedures and subsequently drafted the proposal to the President of the Republic for the honorary naturalization of the three fishermen, because, as provided by the law, for excellent services to Greece.

"It is the minimal rendition of gratitude and honor on the part of the Greek state to these people, which are an example to be imitated with their self-sacrifice and their contribution to the community," the Interior Minister stressed.

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