Videos showing Greek citizens arresting immigrants for suspected arson sparked controversy on social media and reignited a heated debate on irregular migration to the country.
Greece’s Evros region – which has seen some of Europe’s deadliest wildfires in recent days – is a frequent crossing point for migrants entering the country from bordering Turkey, with some local residents fearing that Burned forests do not facilitate an increase in illegal entries.
Earlier this month, Greece’s Deputy Minister of Migration and Asylum, Sofia Voultepsi, said there had been a 65% increase migratory flows this year across Greece, with Evros itself experiencing a particular peak during irregular crossings over the summer, resulting in more than 2,300 arrests by local authorities since June 2023.
Arson charges
Some expressed suspicion about the locations and timing of the fires, highlighting the proximity of migration routes and irregular activities.
Speaking of fires In the neighboring Rodopi region of Thrace, MP Evripidis Stylianidis of the ruling center-right New Democracy party said the fires were appearing along mountain trails used by irregular migrants. “This cannot be ignored,” he added.
The problem reached dramatic proportions last week (August 22) when three Greek villagers detained 13 immigrants, whom they accused of starting fires near a populated area.
In a video taken by one of the villagers, the 13 immigrants are shown crammed into a trailer pulled by a truck. Those detained have since been acquitted of the charges.
A video published Monday, August 28, showed Greek citizens in Evros arresting four immigrants they claimed were arsonists. A police investigation is underway.
Anti-immigration sentiment
The controversial events have inflamed debates about migration across the country, with some applauding the Greek villagers who took the matter into their own hands, while others denouncing their actions.
“These people are defending their property,” Kyriakos Velopoulos, leader of the far-right Hellenic Solution party, said of the citizens who arrested the immigrants. “Anyone who enters the country illegally must be punished. »
The events triggered a intervention by the Greek Supreme Court, citing concerns about targeting and racist behavior towards immigrants.
Conspiracy theories, often supported by far-right groups, present the forest fires in Evros as an orchestrated “attack” on the country, made possible by the flow of immigrants into the region.
Velopoulos is now demanding reinforced security measures in Evros to protect the country.
“The Dadia area, which was our country’s natural line of defense against invasion, must be equipped with anti-tank mines,” he said.
Investigations by local authorities and the Ministry of Citizen Protection are still ongoing, but results so far point to natural causes for the fires in Evros.
The authorities, however, do not rule out the possibility that one of the fires was caused unintentionally by immigrants trying to cook or keep warm. No indication of organized “attacks” was found.
Arson attacks across the country
Vasilis Kikilias, Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, took a strict stance against arsonists during a statement last Thursday (August 24), after a series of new fires quickly broke out in the Avlonas region of Attica.
“Some ‘punk’ arsonists start fires that endanger forests, property and, most importantly, human lives,” Kikilias said. “You are committing crimes against the country. You will be found and brought to justice.
Several people were arrested after being located near the affected areas of Avlonas and Menidi, Attica, and are being investigated for attempted arson.
Since the start of the fire season, 167 arrests for arson have been made by firefighters and police, the minister said in a statement. job on X, formerly Twitter.
(Under the direction of Frédéric Simon/Alice Taylor/Nathalie Weatherald)
