Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Thursday emphasized Greece’s firm commitment to preventing the establishment of a new migration route from Eastern Libya to Crete.Speaking at a press conference following the European Council meeting in Brussels, Mitsotakis stated, “We will use every measure to prevent a new migration route to Crete from being established, I would say both a carrot and a stick.”
The escalating migration flows from Eastern Libya to Crete were a central theme of the Prime Minister’s interview. He highlighted the importance of discussing Libya at both the informal meeting of like-minded countries on migration and the European Council itself.
“It is positive that the issue of Libya was discussed…and at the Summit we had the opportunity, together with my Italian counterpart, to inform our colleagues about the significant increase in flows and about this new route which seems to be opening between Eastern Libya and Crete,” Mitsotakis noted. He welcomed the European Commission’s recognition of the risk and its preparedness to take action.
Greece calls on Libya to stop the migration route
To address the situation, the head of the Migration Committee is scheduled to visit Libya in early July, following a visit by the Greek Foreign Minister alongside his counterparts from Italy and Malta. Their collective message will be clear: this practice cannot continue. The aim is to secure the understanding and cooperation of Libyan authorities for enhanced border surveillance.
Greece has already taken independent action, deploying ships outside Libyan territorial waters. “Whenever boats are detected, we are contacted to intercept them by the same Libyan authorities and return them back to Libya,” Mitsotakis explained.
The Prime Minister reiterated a dual approach, combining incentives and deterrents, to ensure this new route does not become entrenched. He specifically noted that those utilizing this route are Egyptian citizens, who “should return to Egypt immediately.”
A clear message will also be conveyed to Egypt, urging them to accept the return of their citizens who arrive in Europe without a valid claim for asylum, as Egypt is considered a safe country.
Migration flow from Libya to Greece on the rise
Last week, over 400 migrants landed on the small island of Gavdos near Crete, a new entry point increasingly used by migrant smugglers in the past months.
The migrants arrived in separate groups over 24 hours, with the largest including over 350 people off Gavdos. Τhe migrants’ fishing boat was detected by the EU border agency Frontex the previous day. A Hellenic Coast Guard vessel and four nearby cargo ships participated in the rescue operation. The migrants were transferred to a temporary reception center in Palaiochora on Crete for registration and identification.
In late May, over 500 migrants were rescued off the coast of Crete and Gavdos. Several of the migrants stated they had departed from Libya, having paid between 150,000 and 200,000 Egyptian pounds—equivalent to roughly $3,000 to $4,000—for the dangerous crossing.
Source: pagenews.gr