Greek PM calls on EU to revisit migrant return policy ahead of Council summit
Europe needs to ensure that migrants who have entered the bloc illegally are turned back to their point of origin rather than their point of entry, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in doorstep comments ahead of the European Council summit in Brussels on Thursday, where migration is expected to be one of the top issues on the agenda.
“What is missing from our European strategy is an effective returns policy,” he said, going on to confirm Athens’ intention “to submit innovative proposals to the Council on how we can make the returns of those not entitled to asylum to their countries of origin more effective,” Mitsotakis added, expressing Athens’ concerns about regulations that foresee the return of migrants to their point of entry – in many cases Greece.
“For the past five years, Greece has been at the forefront of implementing a very strict but fair policy to address illegal migration, and I am pleased to see that both the European Council and the European Commission have become more closely aligned with Greece’s positions,” the Greek prime minister said, referring to a recent toughening of Brussels’ stance towards migration.
He also spoke out against the ineffective implementation of an agreement between Brussels and Ankara for returns that has seen Turkey – one of the key transit points for migrants and refugees from the Middle East, Asia and North Africa reaching the European Union via Greece – receiving millions of euros in support.
“I want to remind everyone that returns must also be made to Turkey, as this is part of the EU-Turkey agreement from 2016,” Mitsotakis said.
