Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis addresses the migration crisis in his statement published today, Friday, in Bild Zeitung. Specifically, Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated, among other things, in the German newspaper’s report: “Greece does not constitute an open transit route. The journey is dangerous, the outcome uncertain, and the money paid to smugglers is ultimately wasted. Illegal entries will not lead to legal settlement.”
“Our message is clear: Greece is not an open corridor to Europe. We are ready to cooperate closely with Libyan authorities so that we can stop departures at the point of origin,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis added.
Full statement by Kyriakos Mitsotakis
“Faced with the sharp increase in irregular sea arrivals from North Africa, especially from Libya to Crete, we took the difficult but absolutely necessary decision to temporarily suspend the process of examining asylum applications for those arriving by sea from North African countries.
This decision sends a clear message, which allows no misinterpretation, to migrant smuggling networks: Greece does not constitute an open transit route. The journey is dangerous, the outcome uncertain, and the money paid to smugglers is ultimately wasted. Illegal entries will not lead to legal settlement.
Our message is clear: Greece is not an open corridor to Europe. We are ready to cooperate closely with Libyan authorities so that we can stop departures at the point of origin.
But we also need a unified European response.
Greece remains committed to a fair and effective migration policy, including legal migration pathways, but the current situation requires immediate action. And this is not only Greece’s responsibility, it is also Europe’s responsibility.”
