The immediate investigation into suspected cases of NGO members’ involvement with refugee and migrant smuggling networks in the northern Aegean is now in the hands of the Justice system, emphasized the Minister of Shipping and Island Policy, Vasilis Kikilias, in an interview with Open TV.

“Certain NGOs appear, based on evidence gathered by the Hellenic Coast Guard, to be possibly connected in various illegal ways with smuggling rings. It is the responsibility of the Justice system to examine these files. These individuals must be brought to justice and tried, if and when proven guilty. And if this is confirmed, there will be sanctions against the NGOs involved in such activities,” the Minister stressed, noting that, “Greece is a country with borders, not an open field. Anyone — man or woman — wearing the badge of an NGO cannot just come into our country and act as they wish. This country has laws, and the Prime Minister has given clear instructions, which we are going to implement. Everyone must respect this. Anyone who enters or wishes to live in our country, or seeks to undertake social work here, must live by our rules, our laws, and must respect our cultural heritage, our religion, and our way of life.”

Referring to the Coast Guard, he underlined that it is the main force controlling the country’s maritime borders, particularly regarding refugee and migrant issues, with its trained men and women battling under adverse conditions day and night.

Recognizing their crucial role and challenging work, Mr. Kikilias announced the acquisition of new, modern equipment and new hires to further strengthen the Coast Guard.
“We will quickly proceed with all procurement processes for the Coast Guard’s vessels, its digitalization, infrared cameras, drones, satellite imaging, and any new technology available to support the men and women of the Coast Guard. I have already announced, and discussed with the Deputy Minister of Interior, Ms. Haralambogianni, responsible for recruitment matters, to jointly request from the Prime Minister— and I believe it will happen— a significant number of new hires for the Coast Guard next season. We will support these people with all our strength, because they protect our maritime borders and perform a crucial service,” he stated.

Regarding ferry ticket pricing policy, Kikilias estimated that the expected price hikes of around 13%, announced by ferry companies from May 1, would be avoided. The Minister noted that within 20 days of assuming office, “we legislated a 50% reduction in port fees, a measure that effectively results in lowering ticket costs by between 34 and 36 million euros.” Therefore, as he said, “based on this initiative and the roughly 8% decrease in fuel prices so far, I estimate we will curb those price hikes. Additionally, for high-speed ferries — many of which already used eco-friendly fuels — there will likely be announcements in the coming days for fare reductions, especially targeting families, families with children, families with children and vehicles, round-trip travelers, group tickets, and so on.”

He also pointed out that 40% of tickets are already offered at discounted rates, emphasizing:
“To be fair to the ferry operators, who continue to connect our islands to the mainland even during the winter months — which is of strategic importance to me — 40% of ferry tickets are mandated to be discounted. If you are a student, you get a 50% discount. If you are indigent, a 100% discount. If you are from a large family, 50% off. If you are an island worker, discount. If you are a small or medium-sized business owner operating a family business on an island, discount. These are not reimbursed by the state — this is social policy carried out by the companies themselves.
On top of these discounted tickets, there will be additional discounts and efforts to keep prices down. I believe that for the middle class, for the average Greek and his family, this is a very significant policy initiative by the Government. We will see its results in practice in the coming days. And of course, I will not stop there — we are preparing even more measures for the summer season.”