Greece cannot become a gateway for Afghan migrants due to problems in their nation: Greek Migration Minister Mitarachi

Athens/Brussels: – Greece does not want to repeat the 2015 refugee crisis, and will no longer be Europe’s gateway to Afghan refugees, Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi has warned. Thousands of Afghans are struggling to leave the country as Taliban takes over Afghanistan. There are indications that the influx of Afghan refugees is hitting Europe, and some European countries have already become aggressive.

In the last decade, large numbers of refugees started arriving in European countries against the backdrop of the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East countries and Afghanistan. In 2015 and beyond, Germany announced an ‘Open Door Policy’ for refugees from the Middle East and Asia. Taking advantage of this, more than one million refugees had infiltrated the European Union. It has adversely affected European culture and values, and Europe’s security is also threatened. Therefore, many countries in Europe are openly opposed to accepting refugees.

Last month, the Afghan government called on European countries to suspend the deportation of Afghan refugees for a few months. The Afghan government had said that the situation inf the country was not appropriate because of the increasing Taliban attacks and coronavirus pandemic. But the five countries in the European Union had demanded that the repatriation of Afghan refugees should continue. This includes countries like Italy and Greece. At the same time, Germany and the Netherlands announced their decision to ban the expulsion of Afghan refugees.

These developments have brought the issue of Afghan refugees in Europe on the anvil. A special meeting of the Union has also been organized on the issue, on Tuesday. Against this backdrop, the Greek Minister has made the county’s position clear. ‘Greece will no longer be the gateway for refugees entering the European Union from Afghanistan. Millions of Afghans cannot leave their country and come to Europe. Surely not through Greece,’ said Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi. Greece will not allow a repeat of the 2015 refugee crisis, Mitarachi warned.

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has indicated that Germany will try to give asylum to at least 10,000 Afghans. At the same time, it is reported that Turkey has started building a wall on the border to prevent the influx of Afghan citizens through Iran.