Greece is seeking to sign an agreement with Libya to manage the flow of illegal migration from its shores and is calling for greater European support to secure its borders. The move comes amid a significant increase in the number of migrants departing from Libya and North Africa toward Europe since the beginning of this year.
According to Germany’s Deutsche Welle radio on Saturday, a growing dispute has emerged between Germany and Greece over how to handle the migration issue, with Athens rejecting Berlin’s plans to transfer undocumented migrants to Greece.
Greek Minister for Migration and Asylum, Makis Voridis, stated last week that there has been an approximately 174% increase in the number of illegal migrants leaving Libya for Greece since the start of the year.
He expressed hope for an agreement with Libya to manage and curb illegal migration flows, similar to the 2017 deal between Italy and the Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli.
While Voridis revealed plans to visit Libya soon to explore a migration management agreement, Deutsche Welle noted that the Greek minister currently lacks a reliable partner in Libya to negotiate such a deal. Additionally, he does not have the financial means to persuade armed groups to halt the migrant boats departing from eastern Libya toward the island of Crete.
Under the 2017 agreement, Rome provided financial and technical support to Libyan authorities to prevent boats carrying hundreds of migrants from leaving the Libyan coast. The deal also facilitated the tracking, interception, and return of thousands of migrants who had crossed the Mediterranean toward Europe.
Deutsche Welle also pointed to the emergence of a new migration route used by migrants seeking to reach Europe—from the eastern Libyan city of Tobruk to Greece’s Crete island. This contrasts with the more commonly used route from western Libya to Italy’s Lampedusa Island, which had long been the main path for migrants crossing the Mediterranean to Europe.