Interior Minister Yiannis Panoussis on Wednesday gave a press conference following a firestorm of controversy caused by a circular, purportedly issued by a top police official, which the opposition charged is essentially a ‘free pass’ for non-nationals to sneak and remain in the country.

Panoussis said no government official was aware of the circular (viewed at the bottom of the page). Moreover, he blamed the press for the issue, referring to a code of ethics and the need to cross-check information.

He said the document is a compilation of different directives, and ones taken out of context, no less. “This does not create a policy,” he said.

“The various references to scattered articles already in effect, on its own, doesn’t create a policy because policies concern priorities, hierarchies and the way in which laws are put into affect.”

He stated that nothing has yet been announced about government policies on this “hot button” issue. The government pointed to various laws cited in the circular.

Moreover, he said the leftist government is still examining the way in which the irregualr migrants will be evacuated from detention centers, however, they will by no means be ‘let loose’ in the way that the media has claimed.

“There are people inside (detention centers) that should never have been there. We are not freeing people just because we want to, but because we have been condemned for such an action. It is our illegal action, not theirs,” he said, adding that the centers would be transformed, but Amygdaleza would be closed altogether.

Increased media attention followed the publication of the circular, with some reports and social media referring to a ‘new policy’ unbeknownst to the minister himself!

He stated his suspicion concerning the way in which the document was presented and passed off as new government policy and the way in which it went “viral” in the Greek media without cross-checking. He also expressed surprise at the statements by the former conservative prime minister Antonis Samaras, saying his prior action does not show a man who makes statements lightly before getting his facts straight. He also refereed to the way in which other groups critical of the government’s policy were quick to pounce on the news item.