Greece seeks tougher EU migration policies as it braces for impact of Mideast wars

Greece is seeking stricter European Union migration policies arsenic it braces for a imaginable surge successful migrants and refugees owed to ongoing conflicts successful nan Middle East

ATHENS, Greece -- Greece is seeking stricter European Union migration policies arsenic it braces for a imaginable surge successful migrants and refugees owed to ongoing war successful nan Middle East, a elder authorities charismatic said Wednesday.

Migration Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos said nan authorities is considering creating detention accommodation connected nan islands of Rhodes and Crete aft nan complaint of arrivals by sea has much than doubled, starting past fall.

“Based connected existent data, we task that by year’s end, astir 50,000 migrants will person entered our country,” Panagiotopoulos told backstage Action 24 television. Existing migrant camps connected Greek islands are presently astatine afloat capacity, he said, but mainland accommodation are astatine astir 60%.

The curate said migrants are coming mostly from nan Turkish coastline but besides from North African routes pinch arrivals affected by Middle East conflicts. But he added: “We are surely seeing immoderate travel from Lebanon, but we haven’t yet seen nan surge we mightiness expect from a full-scale conflict there.”

Panagiotopoulos, a erstwhile defense minister, said Greece is seeking stricter migration policies nether European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen ’s 2nd term, but not a departure from nan existent negotiating framework.

A landmark EU migration pact agreed connected this year is expected to return effect successful mid-2026, pursuing a caller information of negotiations. Greek officials opportunity they are seeking amendments to create much robust deportation policies and tougher outer separator controls.

“We’re seeking a European solution, firmly grounded successful nan model of nan European Migration and Asylum Pact,” Panagiotopoulos said.

“The European Union spent 8 years negotiating it and it was yet approved," he said. “We now, gradually, must statesman moving to nan implementation phase.”

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