A significant decrease, by 42.06%, is recorded in the flows of irregular immigrants that occurred during October compared to September. Specifically, in October this year, 6,581 irregular migrants arrived in Greece, compared to 11,470 arrivals that had occurred a month earlier in September.

More specifically, flows of irregular migrants began to increase from mid-2022. At their first peak they reached 2,315 arrivals in the month of November 2022. They followed an upward trend again from June this year and peaked in September this year. From the last ten days of September, their gradual and intensifying de-escalation began. Already, the figures for the last ten days of October are even more encouraging.

In particular, on the eastern land border in the Evros the flows have practically zeroed. The decrease is greater in the northern Aegean and smaller in the southern Aegean. So, for example, the residents of Lesvos’ KYT in Mavrovouni (Kara Tepe) were 5 thousand at the end of September and have decreased to 4.1 thousand today.

The KED of Samos and Kos continue to be under pressure, from where there are continuous transfers of registered asylum seekers to the hinterland, as they have been reinforced with additional staff from the central service, ELAS, the European Asylum Service (EUAA) and FRONTEX. In the last 48 hours, the transfer, escorted by police, of the approximately 400 irregular immigrants who gathered in Rhodes throughout the previous period has been completed.

The de-escalation of flows is due to the effective guarding of the borders by ELAS and the Coast Guard and to better cooperation with Turkey.

It is the product of a comprehensive and multi-level strategy to deal with irregular immigration and illegal trafficking. It is remarkable if compared to the rise of the phenomenon observed elsewhere, such as in Italy, Croatia and also in Spain (Canary Islands).

Greece has managed to have fewer arrivals than most EU member states in the southern outer perimeter of the Schengen zone, managed them efficiently and safely for asylum seekers and local communities, within organized structures, unlike what happens in other countries, it has the highest rate of registration and identification of new arrivals for the benefit of public safety, and a reliable and speedy asylum process that has been praised internationally.

Today, it is leading the way in reducing the problem and, thanks to these successes, it is playing a leading role in shaping the new European immigration and asylum policy in the European Union.

The Ministry of Immigration and Asylum, in cooperation with the security authorities of the country, the competent ministries as well as the European Commission and our European partners, is fully alert to deal with and manage the problem, in the best possible way, in the face of any emergency that may arise from international developments.