Concern is intensifying in Europe, but also in our country, about the increase in immigration flows from Egypt. Only in Crete, in the last quarter, arrivals reach 1,500. On Sunday, Ursula von der Leyen will go to Cairo together with the prime ministers of Greece, Italy and Belgium, with a publication of Financial Timesto speak of agreement on immigrationwhich will be accompanied by an aid package of more than 7 billion euros to Egypt.

“It is characteristic that last weekend we had on five different occasions arrivals of migrants on the island in the south of Crete and in Heraklion and Chania and also in Gavdos” declared from Crete n Stavroula Katsoulaki.

Specifically more than 220 immigrantsmainly from Libya, whose inhabitants live in a regime of internal political and economic instabilitythey arrived in the south of the island last weekend.

“They have turned our island into an entry gate, in the last ten days, culminating last weekend, the worst happened and I believe this was reasonable due to the improvement of the weather conditions,” said Nikos Syrigonakis, deputy regional governor of Unity of Heraklion. According to him “as time goes by and the summer season comes, we will have an increase in these flows”.

It is remarkable from what the immigrants themselves tell the Greek authorities that on the coast of Libya, almost 20,000 are waiting to travel to Cretelocated in the heart of the migration corridor, and towards Europe.

“We had a communication with Mr. Kairides, the competent Ministerwho assured us that at the end of the month, with a possible date of March 28, he will come to our island for the meetings and discussions to take place here” noted Mr. Syrigonakis.

“We have already taken a number of actions so that on the one hand there is control of the borders and on the other hand there are returns of those who come to Greece. But let me emphasize how important it is when we talk about migration crises to be able to manage the underlying causes that produce the crisis and in this case the main cause is the great instability observed in the region of Africa mainly North but also sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East . So an active diplomacy is needed” the Minister of Foreign Affairs stated in this regard, George Gerapetritis.

According to a publication of Financial Times the European Union is preparing an aid package of 7.4 billion euros for Egypt with the aim of supporting its economy under the fear that conflicts in Gaza and Sudan may exacerbate economic problems in the country and increase migratory pressure in Europe.