[Prime Minister’s Office via InTime News]
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized the need for a strategic “carrot and stick” approach to migration during a press briefing on Thursday following the conclusion of the European Council in Brussels.
The premier highlighted growing concern over a new migratory route emerging between eastern Libya and Crete and called for both incentives and pressure to manage flows effectively.
Mitsotakis said that, together with his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, he briefed EU leaders on the sharp increase in arrivals from Libya, adding that “it is … positive that the European Commission has recognized the risk and seems to be prepared to take measures.”
The EU’s Commissioner for Migration is set to visit Libya in early July, following similar diplomatic visits by foreign ministers from Greece, Italy, and Malta. The goal, Mitsotakis said, is to engage both Eastern and Western Libyan authorities in enhancing maritime border surveillance and deterring departures.
Greece has already deployed naval assets outside Libya’s territorial waters to monitor movements and coordinate with Libyan authorities for the interception and return of migrant vessels. Mitsotakis framed these efforts as part of a broader European strategy, stating: “We will adopt a carrot and a stick method … to ensure that this new route does not become entrenched.”
He also reaffirmed Greece’s stance on the controversial Turkish-Libyan maritime memorandum, calling it “non-existent and illegal” and welcoming its rejection in the European Council’s conclusions. Mitsotakis stressed that Greece is asserting its maritime rights, having declared exploration blocks south of Crete that respect international norms, and remains open to negotiating maritime boundaries with Libya – when the political conditions allow.
On the Middle East, the prime minister reiterated his government’s belief in diplomacy over force, particularly in relation to Iran’s nuclear program. He urged renewed international negotiations to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Mitsotakis also raised the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, backing an urgent EU call for Israel to end military operations while demanding the simultaneous release of hostages.