Illegal crossings from Turkey have plummeted, says migration minister
Renewed efforts at cooperation between Athens and Ankara have had a marked effect on reducing refugee flows along the Eastern Mediterranean Corridor, Greek Migration Minister Dimitris Kairidis said on Thursday.
Speaking to state broadcaster ERT, Kairidis said that migrant flows from Turkey have plummeted more than 75% since September, while the number of residents at Greece’s camps has shrunk 35%.
The minister was speaking from Evros, where he also noted there has been a 90% drop in arrivals across the land border with Turkey since September.
“Cooperation helps,” he said.
However, the official noted, crossings from Egypt have become a fresh source of concern since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, with arrivals showing a steady increase on Crete’s southern coast.
“The key to dealing with the problem… now is cooperation with Egypt. That’s where our attention is,” Kairidis said, noting that he met with the Egyptian ambassador in Athens earlier this week to discuss the issue.
His comments come as Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is heading to Cairo on Sunday, where he will hold talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
