Of those arrested, 1,130 did not meeting the legal conditions for residency in Greece, while 52 house searches were also conducted.

Citizens’ Protection minister Nikos Dendias told a press conference on Saturday that “today is a good day for Greek Police, regarding both the smooth development of the major ‘Xenios Zeus’ operation and the success in solving the “hideous crime on Paros, ” referring to a 21-year-old Pakistani national, who was taken in for questioning early Saturday  after he confessed the brutal sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl, found seriously injured on July 23 on a beach on the island of Paros.

“There are no racial criteria, we do not care about the color, nationality or religion of the illegal immigrants. Our only criterion is the observance of legality with absolute respect to the human rights,” Dendias said.

SYRIZA expressed its disagreement to any kind of “pogroms” against migrants that “offend human nature and human rights,” referring to the police operation “Xenios Zeus” launched at the center of Athens.

“The government, in its final attempt to hide its real person behind grandiose expressions and trivial communication tricks, underestimates common sense and people’s intelligence, as well as what is left from our culture,” said MP Dimitris Tsoukalas, commenting the code name of the Police operation; he wondered if PASOK and Democratic Left are involved in this planning.

The operation is set to continue in central Athens on Monday in the environs of Omonoia Square, Monastiraki, Vathys Square and the Pedion tou Areos park vicinity, accoridng to ANA.

Greece is an  entry point to about 80 percent of Europe’s illegal immigrants, and many Greeks are starting to resent their presence at a time of high unemployment and cuts in social services. To make matters worse, the capital, Athens, is experiencing a rise in violent crime — a problem that’s also being blamed on the immigrants.

On Wednesday police said they were tripling the number of guards along Greece’s border with Turkey to 1,800 to ward off any influx of Syrian refugees, AFP reported.

Current figures show Greece has about 800,000 legally-registered immigrants, while the number of those without papers is estimated at more than 350,000.

In a statement today to SKAI radio  by a doctor of KEELPNO, Evangelos Liapis,  that the center has intensified AIDS tests for prostitutes in central Athens, Omonia, adding that the majority of sex workers do not have access to health care as they are working illegally.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention notes that in recent years have seen an increased incidence of HIV / AIDS.

The increase in medical examinations intesified after  Greek Police (EL.AS) on Sunday took the unprecedented decision to announce the name and photograph of a 22-year-old woman who allegedly worked as a prostitute and was HIV positive.

According to reports, the woman, a Russian national, was arrested in an illegal brothel in the centre of the city.

A press release by police said that the publication of her name and photograph aims to protect public health, combat instances of HIV-infected individuals.

According to Ms. Kremastinou,  KEELPNO has received over 1,000 calls, mostly from young men.

Minister Loverdos, noted that “Unfortunately my predictions were confirmed. I had warned that AIDS is dramatically increasing in our country and a part of the problem is located in illegal immigration and illegal prostitution,” Kathimerini reported.

The Minister pointed out that KEELPNO will continue its HIV examnations,“There will be no brothel unchecked during the next days,” he announced.