Greece and Germany have reached a bilateral “understanding” to clear all pending asylum return cases under the EU’s Dublin Regulation, eliminating returns to Greece through at least the first half of 2026, Greek government sources said.
The arrangement covers cases in which Germany could have requested the return to Greece of third-country nationals who had transited through Greek territory before seeking asylum in Germany. The clearance applies to all outstanding cases from previous years and up to the months preceding the full implementation of the EU’s Migration and Asylum Pact in June 2026, with the possibility it could extend into the second half of next year.
Athens views the move as an act of “solidarity” by Berlin during the pact’s initial phase, acknowledging Germany’s management of high secondary migrant flows in recent years. Greece plans to pursue similar understandings with Belgium and the Netherlands.
The bilateral deal comes as EU migration ministers reached political agreement on closing remaining gaps in the Migration and Asylum Pact. The agreement allows the return of migrants not entitled to asylum, the creation of “return hubs” outside EU borders, and the rejection of asylum claims in designated “safe third countries,” except under exceptional circumstances such as war.
Tensions persist over a “solidarity pool” requiring states to accept relocations or provide financial support to countries under migratory pressure, including Greece.