Commissioner Avramopoulos: The fences take us back to the divided postwar Europe
- Written by E.Tsiliopoulos
"The walls and fences take us back to the deeply divided postwar Europe of the past," EU Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos on Sunday said in an interview with Realnews newspaper.
Avramopoulos expressed his optimism over the refugee relocation programme from Greece and Italy to other EU countries. "Our argument that the EU common approach is more effective than national, individual measures will persuade even the most reluctant ones to participate," he underlined.
Referring to EU funds for the management of the refugee issue, Avramopoulos stressed the need for Greece to speed up procedures for the absorption of programmes and added: "The European Commission is in constant communication with the Greek authorities to help them overcome any possible problems."
The Greek Commissioner accused the "xenophobic and populist forces" of linking migration with terrorism, without ruling out the possibility of exploitation of the refugee issue in order "to serve malicious purposes."
Finally, he reassured that the tolerance and solidarity shown to the refugee crisis will not be at the expense of the citizens' security.
Related items
- European Commission disburses RRF payment of 3.64 bln euros to Greece
- Participation in the classic Athens Marathon for completion of the Church of Panagia Nafpaktiotissa (The Virgin Mary of Nafpaktos)
- Think Silicon is designing the next Artificial Intelligence chip in Greece
- Delphi Economic Forum kicks off in Athens on Monday
- Greece assumes one-year Presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)
Latest from E.Tsiliopoulos
- Plato: The papyri that "showed" his burial place also revealed how he spent his last hours!
- More than 200,000 registered for postal vote before Monday deadline
- Forced landing of aircraft at Heraklion airport due to drunken passengers
- British couple and their two children have left all behind and are living on a boat in Greece
- Three master Belem set sail from Piraeus, transporting the Olympic Flame to Marseille