NEWS

KKE chief slams anti-immigrant backlash

Communist Party (KKE) leader Aleka Papariga on Monday criticized the ongoing backlash against the country’s illegal immigrants.

?We cannot throw them into the sea,? Papariga said Monday, adding that the migrant population has contributed to the Greek national wealth.

Talking to Skai, Papariga said the issue is too complex to tackle.

?The immigration issue cannot be solved; KKE does not have a solution to propose,? she told Skai, adding that Greece should nevertheless build decent reception centers and provide clandestine immigrants with travel documents.

Immigration has emerged as a central campaign issue ahead of the May 6 vote, as mainstream parties have sought to stem the rise of their nationalist counterparts by vowing to clamp down on undocumented migrants.

The government has announced plans to create 30 detention centers on the mainland to house illegal immigrants, who don?t qualify for asylum, before they are deported.

More than six in 10 Greeks, or 61.7 percent, said they agree with the government’s drive in a recent poll.

In her interview with Skai, the leader of KKE, which has gathered more than 10 percent of popular support in recent opinion polls, once again rejected the idea of working with other left-wing parties after the parliamentary elections.

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