Greece Urges EU to Halt Boats with Migrants Before They Reach Europe
Greece has urged the EU to revive an operation aimed at intercepting migrants before they leave Libya, a common departure point for asylum seekers arriving in Europe, according to the country's newly appointed Minister of Migration, Dimitris Kairidis.
In an interview with POLITICO, Kairidis stated, "These tragedies will continue if we do not stop departures from Libya."
This statement comes after accusations against the Greek government of negligence following a shipwreck in which hundreds of migrants bound for Europe from Libya perished.
The minister highlighted that Greece's coast guard has rescued thousands of migrants in recent years and rejects any allegations regarding its recent actions and national investigation. He said, "If someone is found guilty, there will be consequences. But for now, we shouldn't succumb to political pressure."
Kairidis refuted testimonies from survivors of the shipwreck who accused Greek authorities of towing and ultimately capsizing the vessel. The minister noted that such claims are "not definitive evidence" and that the trawler could not have been towed without the consent of those on board.
To prevent further tragedies, Kairidis believes the EU should revive "Operation Sophia," officially discontinued in 2020. This military naval mission, led by the EU, aimed to disrupt migrant smuggling routes in the Mediterranean.
"We support the launch of 'Sophia Plus' to dismantle the smuggling routes from Libya," Kairidis said during his first visit to Brussels, where he met with EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson.
However, the EU has yet to decide on its response to the "Adriana" shipwreck incident.
The European Parliament endorsed a non-binding resolution last week calling on the EU to initiate a pan-European search and rescue operation for migrants. However, some diplomats fear that this could incentivize migrant departures from North Africa and fuel the business model of human smugglers.
Johansson rejected this approach during tense preliminary hearings.