Mitsotakis to Sassoli: We don’t want a repeat of 2015
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday that Greece does not want a repeat of the “massive migration flows” seen in 2015, and that he disagreed with the head of the European Parliament who said that member-states need to do their part in accepting Afghan asylum seekers.
“I would politely disagree with his assessment regarding the decision taken yesterday [Tuesday] by the European Council at the level of ministers regarding Afghanistan,” Mitsotakis said at a panel of the Bled Strategic Forum 2021, in Bled, Slovenia.
“What we said was very clear: that we do not want a repeat the uncontrolled and unregulated massive migration flows we experienced in 2015. I stand by this decision by representing a country that was a victim to a policy which ended up in highlighting significant failures of the European institutions, as we have yet to agree on a common Pact on Migration and Asylum,” he added.
Speaking earlier at the same panel, David Sassoli said he was “very disappointed” with Tuesday’s Home Affairs Council conclusions.
“We have seen countries outside the European Union come forward to welcome Afghan asylum seekers, but we have not seen a single member state do the same,” he told attendees. “Everyone rightly thought of those who worked with us and their families, but none had the courage to offer refuge to those whose lives are still in danger today.”
