Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris on Monday announced closer monitoring of Iranians seeking asylum in Greece.
In an interview with ANT1 TV, Plevris stated that, despite the events in Iran, “it is too early to talk about flows” because, as he emphasized, “such issues arise when there are prolonged situations. A prolonged situation will create a problem for Europe as a whole.”
However, he clarified that he expects impacts on migration, since Iran borders Turkey.
“Iranians will obviously turn toward Turkiye. When someone ends up there, they then aspire to reach Europe. We believe, however, that such a discussion belongs to a later stage. We do not know the depth of the operations or their duration, but flows increase when a situation becomes entrenched and remains volatile for a long period of time,” he said.
Regarding the Turkish side, he noted that so far there has been no communication “at the migration level.” He also explained that Greek policy will be strict in the handling of requests and the granting of asylum to Iranians, as in some cases applicants may support the current Iranian regime.
PS Meanwhile in Turkey’s eastern borders, footage showed Iranians, several from Tehran, others possible Kurds, crossing the border with their luggage. Some of them told Skai TV, they’re seeking refugee by families or relatives already living in the West coast of Turkey.
