The measures announced by Kyriakos Mitsotakis to curb migrant flows from Libya were referred to on Thursday morning by Immigration Minister Thanos Plevris, who also announced that he has called for a review of all benefits given to foreigners.

“I have given an order to review all the benefits given to foreigners, I have informed the European Commissioner that Greece is making a drastic reduction in benefits,” Plevris told SKAI, adding that “I have asked to review the menu given to the structures, which is hotel-related. In the structures, they have 3 choices on the menu 4 times a day. The Ministry of Immigration is not a hotel. I applied for asylum, I eat, I sleep, I get a 75 euro allowance and if I get asylum, I will get an allowance from the Helios programme. I asked for this to stop, if any of them want to go and work.”

At the same time, he said that “any migrant who does not accept a medical check to verify his age will be presumed to be an adult. “At the moment, Europe is at a critical juncture and voices are coming to what we were saying in 2019. Now, once asylum is refused, it is a criminal offence to stay, you go to jail for 5 years without pay, with only one possibility to cooperate for its return. If we think that by giving a shitload of benefits and he will come back we are kidding ourselves, but if he has something to lose then he will leave,” the Immigration Minister added

According to Pleyris, “half of those who come are not granted asylum, and of those, 60% are men aged 18-30.”