Thousands of immigrants to be deported

Greece could not afford an invasion of immigrants, minister says t is very difficult for asylum seekers to apply for protected status, and we are concerned that among those arrested there may be people who want protection but were unable to submit their r

Greek authorities are rounding up thousands of suspected illegal immigrants in a large-scale deportation drive.

Up to 6,000 were detained over the weekend in Athens and more than 1,600 are to be deported in the next few days.

Public Order Minister Nikos Dendias said Greece could not afford an “invasion of immigrants.”

He blamed mass migration for bringing the country “to the brink of collapse.” “The country is being lost, What is happening now is Greece’s greatest invasion ever,” he said. “Whoever is arrested will be held and then deported.”

Many of those heading into the economically-fragile country are from Asia and Africa.

There are also growing fears that there could soon be an influx of migrants fleeing the Syrian civil war.

Greece has long been Europe’s main entry point for illegal immigrants from Asia and Africa seeking a better life in the West.

Up to 80 per cent of all migrants heading into the EU come via Greece. But the country’s disastrous economic problems and high unemployment

Pe t r o s M a s t a k a s

| are making the problem worse. Some 100,000 illegal immigrants are estimated to slip into the country every year and up to a million are believed to live in Greece, which has a total population of about 11 million.

The uncontrolled influx, which coincided with a spike in crime, has contributed to the rise of a Greek Far-Right political party.

Golden Dawn gained nearly 7 per cent of the vote in recent parliamentary elections. It has won a lot support from young Greeks who blame migrants for their lack of job opportunities. Before the Olympics started, Greek triple jumper and Golden Dawn supporter Voula Papachristou was banned from the Games for posting a racist tweet.

The Greek office of the UN High Commission for refugees said that while Greece has the right to carry out checks on immigrants, it must ensure that vulnerable groups do not suffer.

Spokesman Petros Mastakas said: “It is very difficult for asylum seekers to apply for protected status. We are concerned that among those arrested there may be people who want protection but were unable to submit their requests because access to the relevant authorities is practically impossible.”