[AMNA]
Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris met with his German counterpart Monday on the sidelines of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council in Brussels, reaching an agreement to cancel all outstanding asylum cases tied to the EU’s Dublin Regulation.
Under current rules, Greece would have been required to take back certain asylum seekers whose applications were to be re-examined after transiting through Greek territory.
Clearing this backlog is a priority for Athens as it prepares to implement the EU Migration Pact, set to take effect in June 2026. Greek officials said Germany, which has also faced heavy pressure from secondary migration flows, offered the move as a form of solidarity.
The Greece-Germany agreement is expected to pave the way for similar deals with other EU member states that support Athens’ positions on the Migration and Asylum Pact, the new Returns Regulation, and calls for greater EU support for frontline countries.
The deal comes as the EU finalizes a broader overhaul of its migration system, including streamlined deportations, increased detentions and the creation of a “solidarity pool” to share costs among member states for hosting refugees.
The reforms also introduce a “safe third country” principle, allowing EU nations to reject or deport asylum seekers who could apply for protection elsewhere.
While seen as strengthening EU control over migration, critics warn the measures could undermine human rights and protections for vulnerable migrants.