The refugee crisis and foreclosures were linked by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in a press conference following his meeting with EP President Martin Schulz on Wednesday. “If we are forced to offer shelter, even temporarily for refugees, then it cannot be possible for us to insist on foreclosures for primary residences in Greece,” he stressed. He underlined that while Greek islanders are offering food to refugees, the government is being forced to increase VAT taxes to Greek islands. Tsipras said such demands are “unacceptable” and that the Greek government will seek from Europeans, the same solidarity that Greece is being called to show.

He said that Greece has taken on responsibilities that go beyond the country’s capabilities. “Over the last few months we have carried the weight, but have the honor and pride that Greeks show, especially around the Aegean, to save the ‘honor of Europe’,” said Tsipras.

Schulz said that Tsipras’ requests were fair and that he would convey these to Brussels during a summit taking place in Malta on November 12. He agreed that it is not enough that only eight EU member states are participating in the relocation of refugees, and called for greater participation.

“We owe it as European bodies and as member states to support the refugee crisis in every way,” he said.

Asked about the Greek memorandum of understanding, Schulz said that Greece msut do all it can to keep its pledge. He said taht VAT and foreclosures are symbolic matters that eh would convey to the institutions in an effort that a solution could be found in a spirit of trust, however he underlined that we cannot insist on anti-productive measures.

He said that the relocation of 30 refugees from Athens to Luxembourg was just the start of a program aimed at shifting the burden from Greece. The goal of the program is to support countries with the most pressure.