"The agreement with Egypt on agricultural workers is a model agreement, as for the first time, having agreed with the country of origin, we are bringing workers to Greece for a certain period of time, who will work in decent and transparent conditions, with proper wages, health care and proper treatment by employers. We do not wish to create a new generation of illegal immigrants; rather, we wish to break the vicious cycle of exploitation, of illegal and low-paid labour".
This was emphasized by Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, addressing today the plenary session of Parliament during the debate on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ draft law on "Organization and operation of the ETIAS National Unit and other provisions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs". He further stated that this agreement will be submitted to the Hellenic Parliament for ratification and that, if it bears fruit, it will be further expanded.
Furthermore, Mr. Varvitsiotis emphasized that the establishment of the ETIAS National Unit increases the Greek state's ability to facilitate and expand the limits of its control over travellers entering the country. "The mandate we have received from the Greek people is to limit illegal immigration to the greatest extent possible, while expanding opportunities for legal immigration", the Alternate Minister stated. He went on to say that with the new Unit, we are introducing new information technologies in the control of European borders, that is we are making our borders "smart", automating the entry and control process, and transforming Europe into an area of free movement of people.
The Alternate Minister informed the MPs that systems such as the ETIAS are currently in operation in many Western countries, while in response to criticism from the opposition, he argued that they are part of "perhaps the best legal arsenal for the protection of human rights, the one that is in force in the European Union".
Lastly, Mr. Varvitsiotis referred to the modern and dynamic foreign policy pursued by the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, which is trying to address staff shortages by hiring a significant number of employees in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after years or even decades of understaffing.
November 29, 2022