“In the context of a briefing that will be made on a weekly basis – as we had promised when, as Ministry of National Defence, we assumed the responsibility to bring into effect the Government’s responsibility concerning the preparation of five hotspots and two relocation centres in Schisto and in Sindos until February 15 – we will inform you on the progress of the works.

As various things have been heard, I would like to clarify the following:

First of all, the Ministry of National Defence was not involved to the selection of the regions where the hotspots and the relocation centres will be established. When we were asked to allot some military camps – in the framework of the agreement made and of the Supreme Defence Council’s decision that the Funds will collect 5% of the rateable value for all their assets – we did it with this commitment, to deposit to the Funds this 5% for the personnel.

Second, I would like to clarify and clear out that the Ministry of National Defence assumed this task at the last minute, so as – given the capabilities the Armed Forces have – to complete an obligation of the state.

This morning, I had the opportunity to meet with the Mayors of Oreokastro and Delta. We explained to them that if a decision is reached concerning the area in Northern Greece – mutually decided by the Mayors – where the relocation centres will be transferred, we are ready to transfer them at any time. However, it is not possible to stop the works now, since the country’s contractual obligations should be completed by February 15th.  

The promise we, the Ministry of National Defence and the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, have given is that by February 15 the centres will be completed and coordinated. And this promise will actually be fulfilled. All decisions are taken according to the directives given by me and the Alternate Minister Mr. Vitsas, under the coordination of the Chief HNDGS via the coordinator Mr. Floros and the supreme officers appointed as heads at the hotspots and relocation centres.

At this point, I would like to inform you that the OPS Centre is operating on a 24h basis and monitoring the progress of the works. Every six hours Mr. Vitsas, the Chief HNDGS and myself, get briefed. You have the structure in your hands, from the previous Press Conference. The same structure will be formed on the islands and at the relocation centres as well. Supreme Officers, as well as the Officers responsible for transport, feeding, infrastructure, supply and medical assistance, have already been assigned.

I would like to inform you that there is excellent cooperation with the European Union and the UN High Commission for refugees – I wish to thank them, as they came along the visits we paid to all islands – as well as with the NGOs which have done an excellent job. We want to have – and we will have – a close cooperation with the NGOs, but we want this cooperation to be coordinated, so that everyone will know exactly what they undertake and what they put forward. Moreover we contact anyone who has made suggestions until now and we process them, aiming at the optimum operation of the centres.

As I have seen various things written in the newspapers, I repeat that the hotspots are 24-hour reception centres, while the relocation centres are 72-hour.

At Diavata most installations, I mean the reception areas, will be transportable cold-weather tents which fulfil the specifications set by the EU and the UN High Commission for refugees and, of course, are easily transferred to another spot if needed.

On Lesvos Island, and on other islands as well, we observed an issue which really concerns us; the children issue. We have 10,000 children lost. We have unaccompanied children who cannot be registered, because there is no way for them to be registered. The issue of the children’s registration concerned us from the very first moment. A 12-year old child and over can be registered by his Eurodata fingerprints. However, the data we can have for children who are less than 12 years old are the ones that can be provided by their parents or the children themselves.

I would like to inform you that we cooperate with the organization “The Smile of the Child” and other NGOs and we will not allow not for one baby to be lost. We will protect even more the separate area for the children, so that they will be safe for these hours they will pass through Greece. Moreover, we should register these children, by biometrical data or by any other way. We will seek for the possibility to reconnect children with their parents, through international cooperation we have already begun. There are parents who search for their children and vice versa. Very serious attempts are already done towards this direction and I believe that by February 15, when we will have the official Press Conference for the delivery of the hotspots and the relocation centres, we will be able to provide an important answer to this issue as well. In addition, the children will receive specific food, according to EU directives.

As far as the issue of health care is concerned, Officers from the Medical Corps of the Armed Forces and the Hellenic Police have already been assigned and they will coordinate – cooperating with the NGOs and volunteering doctors – all the necessary health services needed for reasons of medical security, as well as care for the migrants and refugees themselves.
A great effort has been made towards this direction – and I would like to publicly thank Hellenic Petroleum (HELPE) that have helped from the very first moment, before our involvement, offering houses in excellent condition, most of them new, as well as the necessary infrastructures for the hosting.

So as to explain, on Chios Island sanitation facilities are even constructed, and this means that all the hotspots will comply with hygiene rules. This might be the hardest part because the tents and containers may be transferable, yet sewerage plays a key role to hygiene and in the past we faced several incidents which were distressing even to look at.

As far as Leros Island is concerned, I would like to thank the Mayor of the island for the cooperation we had. The Mayor of Leros and all the inhabitants have embraced this attempt. I want to assure you publicly that the Mayors who cooperate will have anything they ask for, such as health care personnel – I have already communicated with the Minister of Interior, so that all the requests for personnel can be satisfied – and naturally all other facilitations they can get by us or by the Government.

Since many discussions have been made about the case of Kos Island, I would like to tell you the following: As I told you at the beginning, we had no involvement to the selection of the region; many things have been written. I saw last year’s photos posted to sites and – I regret to say this – Media that knew that they were lies, such as the one in “Proto Thema” which used last year’s photo to show that we, the institutions, the Chief HNDGS and the responsible authorities were chased out of the island.  

This is not true, these were lies. The truth is that the Mayor had suggested ten spots, only one of which could be made a hotspot, at the area where the people had gathered. He lied to me too that he would do anything to promote the allocation to this spot and sign the contract. As a matter of fact, he called me himself, with the Metropolitan who owes 50%. Afterwards, he asked his Deputy, who is the owner of the remaining percentage, to withdraw the offer.  

Even though we tried, even until it was time to land, to have the deed of assignment signed and visit the spot chosen by the Municipality, so as to avoid various protests, the Mayor along with some interests on the island had prepared the failure of this – suggested by him – spot.

I will name these interests clearly. Obviously, some people would like the migrants and refugees to move freely on the beach. Some, whose hotels were closed in winter, earn 15 euros from every migrant for taking a shower, without issuing any bills, that is without paying taxes. Some were selling a little bottle of water for 4 euros and some other, owners of taverns – usually closed in winter – let them charge their cellular phones for 5 euros.

To realize the size of this black economy, if a migrant or refugee drinks three bottles of water a day which he buys for four euros each, if there is one million refugees, this means that one can earn ten million euros black money. He earns also five million euros from refugees and migrants who want to charge their cell phones. These interests have come forward together with far-right organizations and try to pretend the indignant citizens. This has to stop. There is a legal order.

I wish there was a place which would be commonly accepted. We would have approved it right away. We found another place and landed there and our engineers can start their work. At the same night these interests chose to plow the field and put water pumps to impede the execution of works. You may realize that the only solution that could be proposed was the military camp which is active at 50%. The construction of the infrastructure will be completed so that we will be consistent to our country’s commitment towards the European Union and the UN High Commission for refugees.

We do not want to oppose citizens; we have no reason to do this. The Armed Forces’ job is different, but I am sorry, we will not allow this tragic image of the country to exist.

At this point, I would like to inform you also about the meetings that I had during the informal meeting of EU’s Defence Ministers, in Amsterdam, over the last days, where I was accompanied by the Chief of HNDGS. At first, a full briefing was organized for the allied countries of the European Union about the Armed Forces assuming the organization of the five hotspots and the two relocations centres which the country has promised the European Union to create by February 15. Secondly, a very long conversation took place about which solution would be chosen. Of course, the solution is not for this flow of refugees and migrants to be continued and relocated. When we were asked “What can you do?” we made it clear that it is important, as soon as Turkey signs the contract for the cooperation and  financing for the creation of camps in Turkey, that this phenomenon is over. It is important that migrants’ flows stop passing by the Aegean Sea. There should be no more dead children, no more dead people; otherwise the cooperation with Turkey is pointless.
 
What is our proposal? We, the Hellenic Armed Forces, the Hellenic Navy, as well as the other European countries that wish to help, we can help by immediately informing Frontex about ships which carry migrants or refugees and depart from the coast of Asia Minor. We can inform them, with thermal cameras and radar, that, at a certain moment, on a certain place, a boat with 20 passengers departs from the area of Izmir.

What I asked the Ministers of Defence of the European Union is that Frontex, since there is an agreement, should be able to pass in the Turkish territorial waters. That is, Frontex – in cooperation with the Turkish coast guard – should be warned and we should stop the boats that carry migrants and refugees on the coast, before they depart. This will be the solution to the big problem which has been created. Since Turkey accepts to cooperate – and it will receive a great amount from the European Union – with the contribution of the Hellenic Navy which will spot boats trying to cross the sea and with the engagement of Frontex and Turkish Coast Guard which will stop them on the coast of Asia Minor, the huge flows towards our country will stop and, in parallel this tragic phenomenon of people dying in the Aegean will stop too.

EU’s Defence Ministers, who are not essentially responsible for the issue at present, listened with great interest to our proposal. This effort will be continued tomorrow too that I will visit NATO. I will inform the member-states of the European Union that participate in NATO about this opinion which can be supported and, instead of various ideas which cannot even be discussed, about common patrols, we will, definitely, try, as part of our wider cooperation, to have the forces of Frontex pass within the Turkish territorial waters and stop this phenomenon at this moment when Turkey wants to cooperate.”

JOURNALIST: Which are the non-governmental organizations that you cooperate with? Because there was an issue of accreditation with some non-governmental organizations. In Moria, fellow organizations did not want them to be recorded. What happened with this issue? Which are the organizations that the Ministry of National Defence cooperates with? I am not asking for names, but which of them are accredited or not.

P.KAMMENOS: The list includes 173 non-governmental organizations. Most of the non-governmental organizations are registered, are famous and have offered proven work. There are some non-governmental organizations whose members had written slogans on their sleeves, especially on Lesvos, and this shows that they are not non-governmental organizations, but extremist Islamic organizations which want to take advantage of the refugees’ issue. They will not be granted any access.

So, which will be these non-governmental organizations? As you saw, there is a local council coordinated by a major or a colonel on every island. This council meets every day, with the participation of a representative of the European Union, a representative of UN High Commission for Refugees, a representative of the municipal authorities and a representative of the International Organisation for Migration, which, along with the other members of the coordinating committee will decide which ones are the accredited non-governmental organization that can and want to help and which are the ones which do not want to help and serve other purposes.

We met amazing people on this trip. It is very important to fill the gaps. For example, as far as the issue of translation into the Arab language is concerned, we have personnel of the Armed Forces, as well as of the Ministry for Migration Policy who speak Arab and can communicate with Syrians. The communication with Afghans, for example, is difficult. There are non- governmental organisations. This is a very delicate issue because the translator might need to translate to a little boy whom we want to ask for some information. If this translator who comes from a non-governmental organisation is certified and we know who he is we can assign him this responsibility. But we cannot assign it to someone who appears there as a volunteer, yet he is not.

However, let me give you some figures. Out of the 173 non-governmental organizations, more than 150 are certified, that is the vast majority of them, which has started to isolate the rest of them slowly.

JOURNALIST: I would like to ask you about the reactions in Schisto by some people who call themselves “indignant citizens”. Similar reactions we saw yesterday in Macedonia too. How will you deal with them?

P.KAMMENOS: Our country’s commitment is to deliver the five hotspots and the two relocation centres by February 15. This is our objective, this is the decision and the order that we were given by the interministerial committee and this is the order that we will execute. That said, I realize that there might be also citizens who have been frightened. I do not want to say that all those who oppose are members of the Golden Dawn or of far-right groups or racists, there are also citizens who are really worried. Our purpose now is to prepare the hotspots and the relocation centres. I wish that, after the discussion with local authorities and with citizens – we already did it today in Macedonia – there are commonly accepted proposals by Municipal authorities and an agreement for the relocation centre or the hotspot to be transferred to another location. We will help in this too. These are not permanent installations which cannot be transferred. But this cannot impede the fulfilment of our country’s obligations by February 15.

I already talked with two mayors from Macedonia. They have nothing to fear. We aim to reduce the flow. Do they want 1,000 migrants and refugees to be in the middle of Piraeus port, which is our country’s image to touristic destinations or do they want them to be in a decent place where they will have toilet facilities, bathroom facilities, certified food and where we will be able to register them and, if they are certified, some of them – I mean the migrants – will depart for the places that they left and the refugees will be relocated to countries of the European Union which have covered the percentages.

I know that choosing a place is difficult. But we have to see what is happening today. What do we prefer? Do we prefer these people to be on the street and become victims of exploitation by anyone who charges their phones with five euros or anyone who charges them 15 euros for a shower? Do we prefer them to be in the port of Piraeus or in the port of Kos? Or do we prefer them to be in decent places, where hygiene rules are observed and, of course, to be gathered together so as to avoid this image of an overwhelming crowd?

We will hold a debate. I want to assure you that the government is particularly sensitive about this. Of course, this is an issue managed mainly by Mr. Mouzalas – as Minister of Migration Policy – and the coordinator Minister Mr. Flampouraris. We, as the Armed Forces, are available to help when commonly accepted solutions are found.

I would like to ask, therefore, our citizens to be patient, to cooperate, to help us respond to our country’s commitments and to be open for any debate, of course, under the condition that this commitment will be fulfilled on February 15.

Another big issue is the financing. I want to make this absolutely clear. The managing authority that will handle this issue must meet certain requirements to be able to release these funds. These requirements have been made absolutely clear by the European Union. Let me give an example about the food. It has been provided that breakfast, brunch, lunch, supper and dinner will be offered and they must comply with ISO certification. The food offered must be accepted by the refugees’ religion. Children must be provided with other sort of food. It must be guaranteed that this food will be protected until its distribution. Someone must control the distribution. What for do these prerequisites exist? For the 400 million which have been given for the five year plan to Greece and for the 32 million which are already here to be released.

On this issue, Major General Konstantinos Floros has a direct cooperation with Major General Zacharias Prasakis and a group of officers of the Financial Corps who help the creation of this managing authority, in cooperation, of course, with personnel who have been proposed by the European Union.

I would like to say that I spoke with Mr. Avramopoulos and I asked him for his help. The ambassador of the EU to Greece visited me over the next hour. In cooperation with managers of European funds who know this case well, they indicated us the legal framework which we prepare now to submit it as a legal act and manage to have this money released.

For now, we have money assigned by the state budget, which the Ministry of National Defence has received from the Ministry of Finance and it manages a fund of two million euros for the immediate needs. Contracts with contractors have been signed, whatsoever. Nothing has changed about it. Contracts have been signed with the Ministry for Citizen Protection, with the Ministry for Migration Policy. Greece, however, cannot pay with its own money. A lot of money has been paid out of our national budget so far. The managing authorities, based on what is provided for by the European Union must operate for these funds to be paid.

JOURNALIST: I would like to ask you about the issue you raised in the informal meeting of Defence Ministers and the issue that you will raise in NATO about the Frontex patrols in Turkey’s territorial waters. Given that the rest of our partners in NATO and the EU have not a clear view on what is happening in the Aegean Sea, on what our disagreement with Turkey is about, aren’t you afraid that such a proposal might complicate more our relations with Turkey?

P. KAMMENOS: Firstly, we have no disagreements about the Aegean. We are observing the rules of the international law and what we are asking for is respect. I will tell you that two days ago NATO Secretary General Mr. Stoltenberg informed the Defence Ministers of the European Union, for example, about the violations which take place in the air space of Turkey by Russian aircraft and announced that there will be some AWACS under NATO in Turkey’s air space in order to record these incidents. I told them that we welcome this decision because these AWACS will probably help Turkey realize that it violates European borders, European air space, it conducts overflights over European land, it violates international agreements. Greece is at the side of the law and the law asks for the respect of the borders, the respect of the air space, the respect of the waters.

We do not have a provocative attitude towards Turkey. We want Turkey to respect these internationally acknowledged agreements which provide for specific territorial waters. There is nothing to share. What could we share in the Aegean? The territorial waters between the coast of Asia Minor and an island are delimited by the rule of the “middle line”. There is no issue of claims. When it conducts overflights above Agathonisi, there are no doubts about Agathonisi, about whether it is Greek territory or European territory. At this moment, European projects are executed on Agathonisi and on Farmakonisi and in every region. I honestly tell you that what we want is Turkey to respect the international regulations, international law, both in the context of our NATO alliance and of the agreement that it is about to conclude with the European Union. Turkey cannot but win, in this situation. We are now discussing about three billions which have been offered by the European Union and it is a huge amount. You realize then that, if it receives this amount, it must be controlled as well. That is, if it cooperates with Frontex and helps so that migrants do not leave its coasts, it will be to its benefit after all.

JOURNALIST: Mr. Minister, what could change within a week on Kos technically? Is it possible for you to construct facilities with the residents opposing? How can the construction of the hotspots take place practically?

P.KAMMENOS: I reiterate: it is not all the residents who oppose. We are talking about 50 to 80 persons and probably some people that have been induced. Our country’s commitment is that these hotspots will be built and will operate. I understand or I do not understand certain reactions. I understand some of them and I do not understand some other. But everybody must realize that these hotspots emanate from our contractual commitments. They must operate so that we will have the support and reinforcement of the European Union at all levels. It not only the financial, there is also the political level. To be able to face a global phenomenon, like the migration, we cannot do this job by ourselves. I know that there are more solutions and I had supported them in the past and I wish we have more options in the future. I wish we could, for example, satisfy these islands – maybe we will be able to do it in the future – by using floating hotspots which would be able to take back those who should return and take some others to the relocation centres. We considered all these solutions. You know that the ships were my proposal, it was implemented to a great extent and most of the refugees and migrants are transferred to the centre since last summer. Let us not forget that almost 960,000 migrants came to Greece and left the country. They do not want to stay either.

JOURNALIST: Will they finally work?

P.KAMMENOS: Practically, they will work. Wire fences will be placed where they must be placed. Police will be guarding the place. Recording machines will be placed by the police. There will be non-governmental organizations, doctors, a colonel who will be in charge and the centres will be operating 24 hours a day. What can we do? Some people will lose the black money they are earning.   

JOURNALIST: Mr. Minister, according to what you said, the refugees or migrants will remain in the hotspots for 24 hours and in the relocation centres for 72 hours. Probably you might also create two detention centres, as proposed by Mr. Avramopoulos, for refugees, my question is, from then on, have you ensured, as government, that Eidomeni border checkpoint will remain open and that they will be able to move towards the European Union or anywhere else? Have you ensured that they will not remain trapped here?

P.KAMMENOS: I would like to clarify, firstly, that this is not our job. We have planned to finish a job by February and contribute to the coordination. I will answer you, as government and as participant in coalition government, not as Minister of National Defence. The truth now is that there are countries in the European Union and voices within the European Union that say “build walls, close the frontiers and stop the flow of migrants”. Yet there are also other voices; there are those countries which accept to assimilate a large percentage of refugees as equal citizens, according to the size of each country and the possibilities that it has to offer employment posts. Migrants should go back; I want this to be clear. This is why the relocation centres are built. The relocation centres which have been built here are near Piraeus, they are near the port of Thessaloniki; their purpose is exactly to help refugees be absorbed by European countries at the percentage that every country has assumed, and migrant must go back.

JOURNALIST: Mr. Minister, I would like an explanation of the term you used about the registration centres, possibility of registering 4,000, and capability of hosting 800. This raises a question; I am not saying that there is such an intention, for the 800 to stay there.

P.KAMMENOS: Some of them will remain for 24 hours. Let me give you an example. We have a flow of 3,500 persons in Mytilini at present. Out of the 3,500 who come, the 3,000 who had come the day before leave directly on board ships and return to the relocation centres. The period of stay is the period of hosting during which there are separate parts. You cannot ask a pregnant woman, who is about to give birth in two days, to leave immediately; it is the same with a baby who might be ill. It is normal that some of these people we have to host them in the centres. The difference of the registration is how many of them can pass daily. A great effort is made for this, because back then we had no means. The Hellenic Police and the Coast Guard made a great effort to be able to register such a great number of people without the machines which we started to receive. Yesterday one hundred new machines were delivered which means that one hundred parallel procedures will be conducted for them to record fingerprints. We have no engagement in this, it is a responsibility of the Ministry for Migration and the Ministry for Citizen Protection. This is the difference between registration and accommodation.

JOURNALIST: About your interesting proposal to the European Union and NATO to involve Frontex more, do we have the operational capabilities, the operational assets of the HNDGS, in order to locate the boat which will leave the Turkish coast and warn Frontex? If we had them, we would have solved our country’s defence problem, but I am afraid that we do not have them.

P. KAMMENOS: We have solved our country’s defence problem. There are eight ships at this moment in the area. If need be even 25 ships will go there. We are already trying to be equipped with thermal cameras of even greater accuracy and with sailing assets as well as with land stations. We have the possibility to do it. And any help may be offered by the European Union at this level for locating them, will be welcome. You realize that maybe we cannot deal by 100% with all the flows that may start at this moment, yet a very large percentage will be located and will cause a relevant warning within the first one or two minutes. You may understand that it is possible, until they all get on the boat and leave, to stop them at a distance of half a mile or one mile and make them turn back. Yes, we have such capabilities.

JOURNALIST: In case that Kos, for example, opposes and does not build the hotspot, how possible is it that our partners issue a travel warning only for Kos in the next summer. Have you considered this?

P.KAMMENOS: This is why we are trying, by all means, and this is what we are doing together and we need your help for, is for all those benevolent people to understand – because malevolent people cannot understand this – that it is to the best interest of Greece and of Kos if such images of the port of Kos, as well as of other islands, do not exist. And all the islands should be able to cooperate. Many of their mayors are already cooperating. I want to tell you something. I had a touching phone call today from the mayor of Tilos who told me that we have some infrastructure and we can help if you want. We too would like some job posts to be created on the island and be able to participate.

 
JOURNALIST:  Just a clarification about the statement on NATO. You made a comment, that, finally, they can watch the violations with the AWACS. My question is the following: I think that we inform NATO about the violations that take place every day in our country. Have we stopped this briefing procedure or do they receive them and do not believe us?

P. KAMMENOS: Not only haven’t we stopped, but the information are sent at the very time when a violation takes place and with all possible means: either with an interactive map or in video, or with fixes. The Hellenic National Defence General Staff informs all our partners in the European Union and NATO about these violations. When the Secretary General said that there will be awacs which will fly to detect whether a Russian one has invaded, the answer that they will be able to detect also whether some Turkish enter the Greek air space was exactly to remind also to our European Partners that the Greek territorial waters are also European territorial waters and Greek islands are also European islands.

When we are talking about common European policy, because this was the topic, and common strategy in the European Union – and I use this example very often – I had the pleasure to accompany my Dutch counterpart on Agathonisi and Farmakonisi. When we get off on Agathonisi, the mayor welcomed her and she was the first EU Minister to have ever set foot on the island. No European Minister had ever visited Agathonisi. The mayor told her this simple thing, which I believe is quite an important phrase ever said to a European official by the mayor of a small island, by a simple teacher, like the mayor of Agathonisi.

He told her “we feel and we are in Europe but I want you, madame Minister, to realize that every day at 500 feet above the island we see an aircraft of the other side violate the European air space and the European territory. What is sadder and I do not know what to say about it is when European citizens are here as tourists or like you are here today pr when war vessels of European naval forces are near Agathonisi and they see the European border being violated and do not take any action”.

 I think that we are right on this and I inform you that the Defence Minister of the Netherlands – and I wish to thank her in public – gives a battle for Greece.

I also discussed about it with the Defence Minister of Germany – let me also give you some news – as with most of the Ministers, as well as with France’s Defence Minister. This is important, we will do this and we need your help. On Monday, when we will deliver the hotspots and the other centres and the European quest will have been satisfied, we must also give an image of Greece; the image that Greece is consistent to its obligations and that Greece is Europe and we want to deal with this issue together.  

JOURNALIST: A question that you are answering as coalition government participant. There has been this phenomenon and it has been also recorded by reporters: migrants pass by check points and are not registered as Syrians because the controllers realize that they are not Syrians and give them the migrant documents with which they may stay in Greece for one month. And when these migrants go out, they get Syrian documents with 1,000 or 1,200 euros and with them, finally, they move within Greece for six months or for as long as they need, in order to be able to find a way to pass the other borders. How can you face this? Have you also estimated the cost of black money over the time period that has passed?

P.KAMMENOS: I will start from the end. We have estimated the cost of migration and refugee issue for Greece. It amount to 2,700,000,000 euros. This is the amount that Greece has paid so far. This is a calculation that we did, in relation to the issue of supply of food, healthcare, security, working hours, assets that have been used all over the country over the last 2 and a half years. We calculated them in a study – and it was accepted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – which we did in the Ministry of National Defence.

“Black” economy cannot be included in the “white” economy, and this is a big problem. That’s why we believe that this “black” economy must stop.

There are also honest enterprises on every island. I saw small enterprises outside the hotspot in Mytilini, which had the possibility to sell some products which are not provided in the hotspots. But these people issue payment receipts, they pay taxes and this money is really included in the national income. “Black money” has to stop because, apart from exploitation, it is also a defamation of our country and this money is not included in the national economy.

The effort that is made on the islands by the Police is huge. And you may realize that it is not Greeks who sell this kind of documents. They are sold by organized interests, usually by smugglers. We want smugglers out of this procedure. Documents are sold probably by someone whom they will meet on the beach, or someone who will try to talk to them in private. When a refugee comes and is immediately taken to the registration centre, is accommodated in a certain tent where he will spend 24 hours, enjoys healthcare services, we can prevent this kind of people from approaching him. This is why Greece asks – because this concerns our country too – as well as Europe asks for an organized structure. And we can ensure this organized structure. And we will do it.

There will be constant briefing. I am ready for your information continuously.

Thank you very much.