The European Union’s top migration official, Magnus Brunner, emphasised deportations as a key priority for the bloc’s executive branch during his visit to Athens on Thursday, January 16.
Speaking to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Brunner said, “The topic of returns is something we have to deliver, definitely,” highlighting the importance of implementing the EU’s new Migration and Asylum Pact.
Brunner, who assumed his role in late 2024, stressed that there is still much work to be done in fulfilling the pact’s goals. “There are some things to do, of course, some things ahead of us. Implementing the pact is one of them,” he noted.
Greece, a key entry point for migrants into the EU, has faced ongoing challenges with high numbers of illegal border crossings. Mitsotakis expressed satisfaction with recent EU policy shifts, particularly regarding external border protection and a greater focus on migrant returns.
Είμαστε ικανοποιημένοι με την πρόοδο σε ευρωπαϊκό επίπεδο στη διαμόρφωση μίας νέας ισορροπίας στη συνολική ευρωπαϊκή μεταναστευτική πολιτική, στην κατεύθυνση της προστασίας των εξωτερικών συνόρων με έμφαση στις επιστροφές, αλλά εστιάζοντας και στις νόμιμες οδούς μετανάστευσης.
— Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) January 16, 2025
“Greece is a country that has found itself on the forefront of the migration crisis for many, many years,” he said.
Brunner’s visit comes as Greek authorities conducted a rescue operation on Thursday, intercepting a vessel carrying 36 migrants off the coast of Crete. Meanwhile, Greece continues to call for EU funding to expand its border wall along the Turkish frontier, amid a surge in illegal arrivals.
The country recorded over 60,000 migrant arrivals in 2024, with sea arrivals increasing by nearly 50% in the past 18 months.
Brunner’s visit also follows a European Court of Human Rights ruling, which found Greece had illegally deported a Turkish national, accusing the country of “systematic” pushbacks—a claim Greece strongly denies, maintaining that its migration policy is “strict, but fair.”
Source: AP News.
