Greece will deploy navy ships near Libya in response to a sharp rise in irregular migration.
This comes after 731 migrants — mainly from Egypt, Eritrea, Pakistan, and Sudan — arrived on Crete and Gavdos within 24 hours last week.
Speaking during a meeting with the Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas, Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the move follows an emergency Council of Ministers meeting and aims to act “in a preventive and deterrent manner” against smugglers.
Mitsotakis described the deployment as “a precautionary measure, and always in cooperation with the Libyan authorities and the other European powers,” adding it would “send a message that smugglers will not be in charge of who enters our country.”
The Greek PM also confirmed he would raise the issue of Libya at the upcoming European Council.
Source: euronews
