Greece has stepped up its campaign to reshape European migration policy by urging the European Union to adopt a special emergency mechanism capable of responding to the deliberate weaponization of migration.
Speaking at the extraordinary meeting of EU Interior and Migration Ministers, Greek Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris presented Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ proposal—outlined earlier in an opinion article published by Politico—calling for an EU-wide legal framework that would apply during exceptional cases of mass migration orchestrated by third countries or criminal networks.
Athens argues that while the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum is suitable for normal or moderately increased migration flows, it is not designed to address coordinated hybrid attacks aimed at overwhelming the Union’s external borders.
From Ceuta to Evros
Plevris opened his intervention by expressing Greece’s solidarity with Spain following the migration crisis in Ceuta, stressing that Greece understands the challenges facing frontline states.
He recalled the 2020 Evros border crisis, when Greece prevented what it described as an organized attempt to push tens of thousands of migrants across the Greek-Turkish border into the European Union.
According to Athens, both incidents demonstrate that migration can be deliberately exploited as a geopolitical instrument rather than simply representing a humanitarian challenge.
Emergency Suspension of Asylum Procedures
The cornerstone of the Greek proposal is the creation of an EU emergency mechanism allowing member states, under clearly defined exceptional circumstances, to:
- temporarily suspend the submission of new asylum applications;
- accelerate the return of migrants who entered illegally;
- apply emergency measures in full compliance with EU and international law;
- receive automatic operational and financial support from European institutions.
According to Plevris, such measures would preserve—not undermine—the integrity of Europe’s asylum system during extraordinary crises.
“This is not a departure from European values. It is a way of protecting those values and safeguarding the asylum system itself.”
Stronger Borders, More Returns
The Greek minister also argued that protecting Europe’s external borders requires more than search-and-rescue operations.
He called for:
- a stronger Frontex presence at the EU’s external borders;
- closer cooperation with third countries to prevent irregular departures;
- linking EU financial assistance to effective cooperation on migration control and returns;
- examining Morocco’s cooperation during the Ceuta crisis;
- expanding innovative solutions, including return hubs in safe third countries.
Plevris also criticized mass regularization policies, warning that they may encourage human smuggling networks and act as a pull factor for irregular migration.
Migration Flows Continue to Decline
Highlighting Greece’s migration record, Plevris said irregular sea arrivals to Greece have fallen by more than 35% during the first seven months of 2026, while arrivals to the Aegean islands have declined by over 60%.
He attributed the reduction to stronger border protection, closer cooperation with neighboring countries and stricter migration policies.
Referring to European Commissioner Magnus Brunner, he noted that approximately 50,000 irregular migrants entered the entire European Union during the first half of 2026—roughly the number that entered Greece in a single week during the peak of the 2015 migration crisis.
Athens is seeking to redefine migration management as a matter of European collective security rather than solely humanitarian policy. By linking Evros (2020), Belarus (2021) and Ceuta (2026), Greece is pushing for a permanent EU emergency instrument capable of responding to hybrid migration attacks. The initiative reflects a broader strategic objective: transforming Greece’s frontline experience into a common European doctrine that combines border protection, rapid returns, stronger cooperation with third countries and automatic EU solidarity whenever migration is deliberately used as a tool of geopolitical coercion.
Source: pagenews.gr