Minister of Migration and Asylum Thanos Plevris came out in favor of a hard line if there is no de-escalation of the farmers’ mobilizations, calling for the intervention of the Justice system if restrictions on traffic continue and the offense of obstructing transport is being committed.

“In a state governed by the rule of law, if a criminal offense is being committed, it is not the government’s job,” but that of the Justice system, Mr. Plevris said, speaking on the radio station Parapolitika 90.1. As he noted, beyond criminal measures, there are also administrative sanctions that the government can impose, as the farmers’ mobilizations cause inconvenience to passengers and also raise safety issues. “I believe that the government is exhausting every possibility to show that it means what it says: it wants dialogue, it wants de-escalation. And we see that there is also a segment of farmers who want to discuss,” he added.

In any case, he set open roads as the primary objective. “The government is rightly trying to move toward de-escalation. If this is not achieved within a reasonable time frame, there must also be the necessary escalation on the part of the state so that the roads are handed back,” he said.

On migration

Mr. Plevris also referred to the large migratory flows of recent days, explaining that the main problem is located in Crete and defending the tough measures. “With the passage of these measures, we are closing the year with a 24% reduction, and in the five months during which the measures have been applied we have a 45% reduction, so the tough measures have delivered results,” he said.

He acknowledged, however, that the situation in Libya remains problematic, as “there is no reliable interlocutor,” making it clear that Greece is ready to take additional measures if needed.

He also made special reference to the suspension of asylum, noting: “The suspension of asylum was the three-month period during which we had the lowest flows.”

International organizations, case law and pushbacks

Referring to international criticism, the minister distinguished judicial bodies from organizations such as Amnesty International, stressing that Greece respects court rulings but retains the right to political criticism.

“There is case law marked by excessive zeal regarding human rights, which often does not allow countries to exercise sovereign policy,” he argued.

Asked about pushbacks, he was categorical, stating that “protecting your borders is deterrence that you are obliged to carry out. It has nothing to do with illegal actions.”