The European Union must stop countries picking and choosing which refugees they accept in its relocation programme, otherwise it will turn into a shameful “human market”,Greece’s new migration minister Giannis Mouzals told Reuters.

He said that Greece was having trouble finding refugees to send to certain countries because the receiving nations had set “racist criteria”, but he declined to name these states.

“Views such as ‘we want 10 Christians’, or ’75 Muslims’, or ‘we want them tall, blonde, with blue eyes and three children,’ are insulting to the personality and freedom of refugees,” Mouzalas told Reuters adding that “Europe must be categorically against that.”

He continued by saying that many Afghans have ended up trapped in Greece because they don’t have the money to be transferred to the other European countries.

And since European authorities are reluctant to treat Afghans systematically as refugees, they are shut out of the relocation process.

“It’s absurd to think that Afghans are coming to find better work. There is a long-lasting war, you aren’t safe anywhere, that’s the reality,” Mr. Mouzalas said.

Moreover Mr. Mouzalas said five hotspots to register and identify arrivals on the preferred entry points – Lesbos, Kos, Chios, Leros and Samos – would start operating within a month, ahead of schedule.

Greece hopes to relocate about 10,000 people every two months, or 70,000 in a year, he said.