Thousands of African and Asian Immigrants Arrested in Greece

The Greek authorities are rounding up thousands of suspected african and asian illegal immigrants in a large-scale deportation drive.

Greece has long been Europe’s main entry point for illegal immigrants from Asia and Africa seeking the social support in the West. More than 1,600 are to be deported in the next few days. Public Order Minister Nikos Dendias said Greece could not afford an invasion of immigrants. He blamed mass migration for bringing the country ‘to the brink of collapse’. ‘The country is being lost, What is happening now is Greece’s greatest invasion ever,’ he said.

Whoever is arrested will be held and then deported.’ Many of those heading into the economically-fragile country are from Asia and Africa.

Up to 80 per cent of all migrants heading into the EU come via Greece. But the country’s disastrous economic problems and high unemployment are making the problem worse than ever.

Some 100,000 illegal immigrants are estimated to slip into the country every year and up to a million are believed to live in Greece, which has a total population of about 11million.

The uncontrolled influx, which coincided with a spike in crime, has contributed to the rise of the Greek racial nationalists. Golden Dawn gained 7 per cent of the vote in recent parliamentary elections and now the third most popular party in Greece with more than 10 per cent support.