The influx of immigrants and refugees from Turkey rose by about one-third between June 20 and July 20, compared to the same period last year, Deputy Minister of Protection of Greece George Komotsakos said Wednesday.
"More than 3,000 people arrived and registered in one month to the islands of Lesbos, Samos and Kos in the Aegean Sea, a 30 percent increase over the same period last year," the new immigration official said in an interview with Sky radio.
But Comotsakos said the wave was not similar to the one that took place during the 2015 immigration crisis, during which nearly one million people entered Europe via the Turkish and Greek coasts.
"The issue of migration remains and will remain on the agenda for a long time," he said, referring to Europe´s concern.
The Ministry of Immigration of the Ministry of Protection of Citizens was merged into the new government of the conservative party of Kyriakos Mitsutakis, which emerged from the July 7 legislative elections and left the leftist government Alexis Tsipras.
This option was criticized by non-governmental organizations defending human rights and denouncing the tightening and management of the immigration policy pursued by the police.
She also criticized the government´s repeal last week of a decree allowing migrants to easily obtain a social security number.
Komosakos said immigration policy should respect "human rights as well as ... the security of Greek citizens and the country".
There are currently about 70,000 immigrants and refugees in Greece, with a population of 11 million.
The Government intends to reopen the detention centers for illegal immigrants, many of whom are crowded in unhygienic reception centers in the Aegean islands.
Shortly after his appointment, the deputy minister of citizen protection announced that the government´s priority was to "strengthen the protection of the Greek and European borders".
