Plevris: Greece strongly supports a common, coherent, effective European migration policy

The Minister of Migration and Asylum, Thanos Plevris, held a series of bilateral contacts with his counterparts from Bulgaria, Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands on Monday in Brussels, on the sidelines of the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the European Union.

During the meetings, the Greek minister focused on our country’s priorities in the field of migration, emphasizing:

• The guarding the external borders of the European Union and the need to strengthen common protection mechanisms.
• The prevention of illegal migration flows, as a key tool for the effective management of pressures on member states.
• The intensification of returns by making use of the mutual recognition of return decisions, within the framework of the new Return Regulation under negotiation.
• The creation of “return hubs” outside the European continent, with the aim of more effectively implementing return procedures through cooperation with third countries.
• The exploration of alternative return routes for Afghan nationals to Kabul, with particular emphasis on those who have committed criminal offenses, within the framework of the need to ensure public order and security.
• The promotion of a European “clean slate” plan for old Dublin cases, which will relieve Greece of the chronic burden of the possible return of individuals who are currently in other member states, but for whom the country was until recently responsible for examining asylum applications.

Plevris stressed that Greece strongly supports a common, coherent and effective European migration policy, which will be based on solidarity, but also on the necessary balance with the responsibility of the frontline member states.

At the same time, he underlined the need for a rapid conclusion of the ongoing negotiations in order to ensure that the new European architecture will respond to the real challenges.

According to the ministry, the bilateral contacts were held in a particularly constructive atmosphere, with the minister’s interlocutors expressing interest and willingness to cooperate with regard to the Greek positions and proposals.