Christodoulopoulou: All those who enter Greece are refugees
People who enter Greece are refugees, Alternate Minister for Migration Policy Tasia Christodoulopoulou told private TV station SKAI on Tuesday, while speaking on the same issue at Mega channel, she said refugees are not homeless, but they are seen sitting in squares because they're "sunbathing" and this is something they can only do in the morning.
She added she has been to squares in the center of Athens in the evening and saw no migrants.
Asked about migrant flows towards Greece, she also said the government expects about 100,000 migrants to enter the country in 2015.
"We estimate there will be a flow of maybe 10,000 in 2015 which I think we can cover," Christodoulopoulou said adding that the emergency response plan for the influx of immigrants to the islands and the region of Attica will be implemented at a national and European level.
"We are preparing an emergency plan for Attica and other large cities - because it is where they [migrants] will obviously be sent - according to which we will build emergency housing facilities," she said and added that former civil protection minister Nikos Dendias had promised to build accommodation for 2,500 people by December 2014, which he never did.
The minister also noted she has called on all municipalities and the region of Attica to allow the government to use any buildings or facilities available for the housing of people, while the ministry of health will provide a mobile medical unit.
"If they don't give us buildings, we will end up using old military camps which are not in use to place relief items and house the people," Christodoulopoulou said.
The statements caused a wave of reaction from opposition parties, with PASOK criticizing the government for leaning towards the model used in 2004-2005, according to which every square was "abandoned" to a specific nationality of migrants.
Main opposition New Democracy said the government has opened the borders and "flooded the islands with migrants and refugees in the midst of the tourist season."
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