On 12 June, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized in an interview on a podcast hosted by former U.S. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, that the emerging illegal migration route from eastern Libya to the Greek island of Crete has become a major concern and a pressing security challenge for both Greece and the whole of Europe. Regarding migration management and the situation in Libya, Mitsotakis stated that migrants should not be setting off from the Libyan coast in the first place. He stressed that to contain illegal migration, Athens is actively cooperating with Libyan authorities and providing training to the country’s Coast Guard.
Defending Greece’s strict border enforcement strategy, the Prime Minister firmly asserted that the Greek Coast Guard ‘is not a reception committee for smugglers,’ and made it clear that individuals who are not entitled to asylum will increasingly face deportation and returns from Greece and the wider European Union. Mitsotakis summarized his administration’s dual approach to immigration by stating, ‘I want a big fence for irregular migration, but also a big door for legal migration.’ He explained that strict deterrence against illegal crossings must be balanced with organized, legal migration pathways to successfully meet the ongoing labor needs of the Greek economy.