Greece will block Afghan asylum-seekers fleeing the Taliban rule from entering its borders, Prime Minister (PM) Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Sunday while refusing to become Europe’s “gateway” to migrants.
“We cannot have European countries who believe that Greece should resolve this problem alone and that it does not concern them at all because they can keep their borders tightly and hermetically shut,” Mitsotakis said at a press conference.
He demanded the European Union (EU) formulate a cohesive approach towards migration that doesn’t place unfair responsibility on Greece. Mitsotakis fears a repeat of the 2014 crisis when nearly a million Syrians, Iraqis, and Afghans entered Europe, arriving at Greece from Turkey. “The government has received the EU solidarity in terms of financial aid, but we are the ones doing the work: the coastguard, the police, the armed forces. And we will continue to do so,” he said. To this end, he vowed to “break and smash” the human “trafficking network” infiltrating Greece via Turkey.
Following his keynote speech on Saturday at the Thessaloniki International Fair, Mitsotakis reiterated the preemptive measures taken by his administration to “stop any wave [of Afghan refugees] long before it reaches our borders.”
Greece has established a 40km-long fence across the Evros region on the Turkish border. It also launched tenders to build holding facilities on islands close to Turkey. “We have the infrastructure in the event that we are faced with a new wave of Afghan refugees,” Mitsotakis said, adding that Greece could extend the Evros border fence if necessary. The PM also mentioned that he does not foresee incoming migrants from Afghanistan, as it “has adopted an active border protection strategy and migrant flows have decreased tremendously in 2021 compared with last year.”
Moreover, the Greek leader claimed that Greece and Turkey are on the same page regarding migration. “Our interests and Turkey’s are aligned,” he noted. Like Greece, Turkey has also adopted strict measures to prevent Afghan migrants from penetrating its borders, refusing to “bear the burden of the migration crises experienced due to the decisions of third countries.” Turkey already shelters four million Syrian migrants and is often the starting point for migrants to enter Europe.
However, in the past, the two nations have had diverging opinions on migration. Turkey has accused Greece of “large-scale pushbacks and deportations without migrants having access to asylum procedures.” In June, Turkish border guards detained dozens of migrants allegedly strip-searched and beaten by Greek officials across the border. Consequently, Turkey accused Greece of violating human rights and international law. Greece denied Turkey’s accusations and continued to bolster the security of its borders, leading to the current border fence between the two nations in Alexandroupolis.
Considering the current global situation triggered by the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan last month, Europe is struggling to combat an ongoing migration crisis with several nations, including Greece, Turkey, and Hungary, refusing to let in Afghan asylum-seekers and resettlers.
Greece Launches Measures to Restrict Entry of Afghan Asylum-Seekers
Greece has refused to grant entry to scores of Afghan asylum-seekers, saying that it does not want to turn into Europe’s “gateway.”
September 13, 2021
The border fence between Greece and Turkey, in Alexandroupolis, Greece, Aug.10, 2021. SOURCE: ALEXANDROS AVRAMIDIS/REUTERS