Greece Calls for Unified EU Migration Strategy, Criticizes Italy-Albania Deal as Ineffective
October 17, 2024Greece is advocating for a collective European solution to tackle the ongoing migrant crisis, arguing that individual bilateral agreements have proven ineffective.
During an interview with Skai TV, Greece's Immigration Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos emphasized that no single country can manage the migration issue alone.
His comments come in the wake of Italy's controversial agreement to send intercepted migrants to Albania, a country that is not a member of the EU.
Italy has signed a contentious deal with Albania to establish two migrant centers where asylum cases will be processed remotely by Italian judges.
These centers in Albania are initially set to accommodate 1,000 migrants, with plans to expand capacity to 3,000 in the future.
However, Panagiotopoulos highlighted that the current facilities are insufficient to handle the hundreds of thousands of migrants attempting to enter Europe annually.
Rights organizations have expressed concerns regarding the adequacy of protections for asylum seekers and the legality of the Italy-Albania agreement.
Panagiotopoulos criticized bilateral agreements, stating they lead nowhere in addressing the complexities of migration.
In light of these developments, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is scheduled to discuss European migration policy at an upcoming EU summit.
Summary based on 3 sources
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Sources
Barrons • Oct 16, 2024
Greece Says 'Bilateral' Migrant Deals 'Lead Nowhere' Amid Italy-Albania AccordNeos Kosmos • Oct 16, 2024
Greece says ‘bilateral’ migrant deals ‘lead nowhere’ amid Italy-Albania accordLBCI Lebanon • Oct 16, 2024
Greece says 'bilateral' migrant deals 'lead nowhere' amid Italy-Albania accord