Mitsotakis to 'Bild': 'Greece is not an open corridor to Europe'

The Greek government's decisions send a clear message to both traffickers and potential migrants that "Greece is not an open corridor to Europe," Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a statement to the German newspaper 'Bild' published on Friday. The prime minister stressed that the decision to suspend processing the asylum applications of those arriving by boat from north Africa was "difficult but absolutely essential":
"Faced with the sudden increase in irregular arrivals via the sea from north Africa, especially from Libya to Crete, we made the difficult but absolutely essential decision to temporarily suspend the process of examining applications for asylum from those that arrive by sea from the countries of north Africa.
"This decision sends a clear message, not open to misinterpretation, to the migrant trafficking networks: Greece is not an open transit route. The journey is hazardous, the result uncertain and the money paid to the traffickers is ultimately lost for no purpose. Illegal entries do not lead to legal settlement.
"Our message is clear: Greece is not an open corridor to Europe. We are ready to work closely with Libyan authorities to stop departures at the point of departure.
"However, we also need a unified European response.
"Greece remains committed to a fair and effective migration policy, which includes legal migration routes, but the current situation demands immediate action. And this is not only Greece's responsibility, it is also Europe's responsibilty."