Migrant numbers near ‘saturation point’
ATHENS: Greece is reaching the point where it can no longer handle on its own the number of immigrants reaching its shores, the country’s migration minister said yesterday.
While the situation is not yet as bad as the during the crisis of 2015 and 2016, the number of arrivals jumped 240% in the period from May to September this year, George Koumoutsakos said in a written response to questions during a visit to Washington.
“If this trend continues, we will then face a very serious situation,” Mr Koumoutsakos said.
As a front-line state, the new Greek government is enhancing border controls, building closed centres to hold migrants due to be expelled and trying to establish more effective ways to send people home if their asylum claims are denied.
But Athens is also warning its European partners that they will face consequences if Greece’s resources are overwhelmed.
“If Greece overflows, there will be secondary flows to other European countries as well,” Mr Koumoutsakos said. Greece wants EU members to open up negotiations on a new system for spreading the burden of handling immigrants.
Turkey has been very persistent in suggesting it could open the doors to Europe for millions of Syrian refugees, Mr Koumoutsakos said.
“The constant repetition of these threats is a source of particular concern and certainly a factor of vigilance and alertness not only for Greece, but for Europe as a whole,” he added.
As such, Mr Koumoutsakos said that Greece wanted the European Union to “positively consider” Turkey’s request for assistance beyond the six billion euros (about 200.8 billion baht) committed in 2016 to stop migrants.
“But the fact that Turkey asked for this money by blackmail or threats does not create the necessary political climate for the Europeans to decide to give the money,” he said.
“Europe cannot act under threats or blackmail. As Europeans should understand the situation that the Turks are faced with, Ankara should on its part realize that this is not the way to deal with Europe.”
Some 3.6 million Syrian refugees are living in Turkey after a brutal civil war engulfed their country, and Greece is the key transit point into the European Union.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who took power in July, has pledged a tougher approach on migration than the previous leftist government.