The eccentric ex-migration policy minister, Tasia Christodoulopoulou, was the “guest star” at a rally in downtown Athens on Saturday afternoon with the main slogan of “Welcome Refugees”, along with “Open the Borders” and “Nazis Out”.

Christodoulopoulou endured a tumultuous seven months as the first alternate minister of the specific portfolio, with her tenure’s “highlights” being the explosion in the arrivals of third country nationals on Greece’s eastern Aegean islands and the leftist government’s shambolic response to the humanitarian dimension of the migrant / refugee crisis.

The now ex-minister was appointed by Alexis Tsipras as one of the few unelected members of his Cabinet.

Christodoulopoulou has long been an advocate of an extremely liberal open borders policy, whereby practically any third country national that declares themselves in need can enter the country in an “irregular manner” as either a refugee, potential asylum seeker or would-be economic migrant.

In brief comments to “Proto Thema”, the former minister insisted that “I did what I had to do, others now have the responsibility.” The response was in answer to a question on the makeshift camps erected in several main Athens squares by third world nationals, mostly Afghans and Pakistanis, given that individuals that show Syrian travel documents are allowed to head for the border.

Greece’s sea borders in the eastern Aegean were more-or-less abolished over the past seven months, with waves of third country nationals landing every day on borders islands, either through their own means or by utilizing the “services” of Turkish people smugglers.

The rally on Saturday was organized by several extreme leftist and internationalist groups and coincided with similar, but much better attended, protests and rallies in other European cities.

“Proto Thema” caught up with the veteran human rights attorney in central Syntagma square, across from Parliament. Here’s the video (in Greek)