Replacing Makis Voridis, who resigned amid the OPEKEPE scandal, Plevris declared that “anyone entering Greece illegally will either be returned to their country of origin or sent to prison.”

The outgoing minister, Voridis, noted his ideological alignment with Plevris, stating: “We share the same values – perhaps even more than that.” He emphasized that the ministry would stay the course set by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis: to enhance the effectiveness of return operations and establish a more structured system for legal migration.

This transition signals continuity in the government’s restrictive migration policies, amid increasing pressure from both domestic critics and EU partners.