The defense of the Moroccan man arrested as the smuggler responsible for the tragedy in Chios has been taken over by a lawyer from an NGO active in refugee and migrant rights, Immigration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris said on Tuesday morning.

“The Moroccan claims that, although he is Moroccan, he somehow ended up in Turkey on a boat with 38–39 Afghans, crossed over with them, and is a victim as well. I would expect this NGO to defend the real victims—the migrants—not the trafficker. It’s like a women’s rights NGO coming out and saying that, between alleged rapists and the alleged victim, the rapist is innocent,” Plevris told SKY.

He also stated that the investigation into the Chios tragedy is ongoing. “But as Minister of Immigration, when I receive a report from the Coast Guard, should I not rely on their briefing and say that I believe them? I do believe that the men and women of the Coast Guard went out to patrol and did not say, ‘We are going to kill people.’ Because when you accuse a Coast Guard vessel of running over a boat, you are not merely alleging an accident—you are calling them murderers.”

“What does the Coast Guard do? When a boat enters Greek territorial waters, they can carry out deterrence within international rules before it enters. Once it does, their role is search and rescue. Pushbacks are not allowed under international law, and currently, they are not being carried out,” he added.

Regarding the bill introducing stricter penalties for NGOs, Plevris referred to a provision stating that if a trafficker is proven to be a member of an NGO, they face harsher penalties. “Why a stricter framework? Because NGOs have privileged access—they can enter facilities and interact with migrants. That’s why we are imposing heavier punishments.”

“I saw the figures in Parliament: NGOs have received €300 million. Legally, they take the money, but we should ask what is humanitarianism here. They have turned it into a profession: providing interpretation services, transport services, and are paid in a privileged way. That is, NGOs that are registered and receive funding operate almost as if they were private companies,” concluded the Minister of Immigration and Asylum.