Greek Migration Minister Makis Voridis has unveiled what he described as Greece’s toughest immigration crackdown to date, warning that those residing "illegally" in the country will either be deported or face restrictions on their freedom, including detention.

“Anyone who is here illegally will be subject to return procedures. They must leave the country. Otherwise, they will be deprived of their liberty,” Voridis said in a radio interview, as he disclosed that 170 asylum seekers had already been returned in the first 15 days of April.

“This month, we’ve already organised around 170 returns,” he said, adding that a recent ruling by Greece’s Council of State had overturned a prior joint ministerial decision which had classified Turkey as a ‘safe third country’. That ruling, he explained, now prevents the automatic rejection of asylum claims from individuals arriving via Turkey. Instead, each case must be examined individually.

“The Council of State invalidated the decision due to a lack of justification. What I did next, in light of that ruling, was to reissue the decision – this time with full reasoning – reaffirming that Turkey is indeed a safe country,” Voridis said.

He also explained the government’s logic behind pressuring asylum seekers to accept voluntary return:

“How do you create someone’s willingness to return to their home country? One way is to politely ask, ‘Would you like to go back?’ I imagine the answer would usually be ‘no’. But if you tell them, ‘You are here illegally, and as such, you cannot move freely – you will be subject to administrative detention, and perhaps even criminal penalties for illegal entry and stay,’ that might prompt a different response.”

Asked whether the government plans to build new detention centres or even prisons, Voridis was vague:

“We’ll see what needs to be built,” he said. “But if at the same time I say to someone, ‘You have broken the law by entering and remaining illegally in the country – your freedom will be restricted – perhaps you’d like to reconsider and accept a ticket home?’ I think it’s worth trying to see how that works.”

“Anyone here illegally will be subject to return. They must leave Greece. They’re not here legally – let them go wherever they like.”

Later in the interview, when asked whether he believes the country should head to the polls, Voridis responded: “We will go to the electorate and ask them to assess the government’s performance – what we promised before the election and what we actually delivered. That’s the measure by which we’ll be judged.”

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