The coalition government’s campaign to clamp down on illegal immigration is of critical importance and must yield results.

The unchecked influx of undocumented migrants over the previous years has been the source of a wide range of social problems. Some people’s reactions to the systematic police operations to arrest and deport those who have sneaked into the country without permission are without doubt exaggerated and unjustified.

Greek authorities must finally put the country’s immigrant detention centers into operation. They must also move forward with the mass deportation of unregistered individuals, and take steps to restore the rule of law in the center of Athens and other urban centers.

The vast majority of the Greek people, after all, back any organized and systematic campaign to resolve the problem. They also reject extreme and colorful objections from those who want to see the country turn into a magnet for hordes of illegal immigrants.