The migration flows to Greece have increased as of the end of 2023 and continued steadily throughout 2024, Migration and Asylum Minister Nikos Panagitopoulos told Skai TV on Wednesday.
“The trend is rising, and of course that troubles us. As I have often repeated, our system currently holds, unless something dramatic happens,” the minister said. He expressed concern over a greater conflagration in Lebanon, and a general spread of conflict which would add another migration flow to the west, through the Mediterranean.
“Cyprus will come under excessive pressure, Greece is expected to also, as well as Türkiye. What the prime minister said in New York on Tuesday, in the aftermath of his meeting with (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan, and what the main focus of their discussion was, is that on this issue – the handling of migratory flows – Greece and Türkiye stand to win if they collaborate,” he told Skai.
Greece and Türkiye have the opportunity to work together, as shown by the results of the collaboration in the Evros front, and this needs a coordination with Turkish authorities, he said. Panagiotopoulos also confirmed his upcoming meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.
Evros
“Migrant flows from Evros are down,” the minister said, “around 5%, reduced. It is easier also because of course the construction of obstacles, not just the fence, have reduced the entry points and thus make entering Greece or Europe tougher. The islands and the sea are another matter. We have another marginal drop from the North Aegean – the Lesvos facility houses nearly a thousand, close to a historic low at this time. As a reminder, at other past times, they were 15,000.”
Panagiotopoulos also referred to the Samos shipwreck and the actions of human trafickers, and to the need to increase the presence of the EU border police Frontex.
He also underlined that “we cleared it with the Germans” that there is no possibility that Greece will allow mass returns from Germany. Individual returns are within the provisions of the European legislative framework, and few migrants have been returned, while Greece has carried out over 4,000 returns of migrants whose asylum applications were turned down.
