By Antonis Anzoletou

Immigration diplomacy has caught fire recently, as well the new Euro-Turkish agreement is the big bet for the European Union. With the Recovery Fund and vaccines during the pandemic, the E.U. proved that despite being a “slow boat” it can turn relatively quickly if pushed. A comprehensive immigration policy is more necessary than ever. During the meeting of 17 and 18 March 2016, the leaders of the old continent in a marathon meeting discussed further measures to deal with the migration crisis, the EU-Turkey cooperation, as well as the difficult economic situation of that time. Have 2015 conditions been formed today at the level of irregular arrivals? The arrivals are enough, but they cannot be compared to what happened eight years ago. There is a similarity mainly with regard to the rise of far-right forces in Europe.

The number of immigrants and refugees who crossed the Greek border in September was alarmingly high. However, the data shows that since the 25th of last month it existeda noticeable drop in flows in the Aegean and the Evros. The Ministry of Immigration and the Greek authorities are on alert. On the coast of Italy flows are increasing from people trying to find a better life and the neighboring country is currently in the “eye of the cyclone”. Tunisian President Kais Sagenet said his country was refusing the European Union grant which he said amounted to “charity” as it did not correspond to the agreement reached in July between the two sides. The problem with Turkey still exists, as it is a hub of illegal immigration. It does not require a visa for citizens from sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. From the Greek side, it has been requested that there be communication between the coast guard and the Turkish coast guard.

What is required to be done immediately is the achievement of a new agreement between the European Union and Turkey. Tayyip Erdogan wants to join the Schengen zone. In other words, for his compatriots to travel to Europe without using a visa. It is clear that the Turkish side has a lot to gain and for this reason, after all, it very often uses immigration as a tool. The problem today is this: none of those who receive asylum return to Turkey or their countries of origin. And also no one can promise that immigrants from Afghanistan, who do not want to stay in Greece, will not find themselves stranded in our country if the passages to Europe are closed due to the increased flows. The problem is multifactorial and needs brave interventions with the cooperation of many countries. The planned Greek-Turkish agreement will come as a supplement to the Euro-Turkish agreement of 2016, as the relevant negotiations are carried out in agreement with the EU.

According to what has been discussed so far and remains to be specified Turkey will undertake:

– To limit migration flows from its own shores.
– To attack the networks of traffickers operating on its territory.
– To accept more return migrants from Greece and the EU in general.

In return, he is expected to receive more European funding with new funds, while the lifting of visas for Turkish citizens within Schengen is also on the table. In the period until December, when the Supreme Cooperation Council of Greece – Turkey will meet, there will be constant consultations between the two countries. Today, Kyriakos Mitsotakis will participate in the informal European Council in Granada, where immigration will be at the center of attention. On October 10, the Minister of Immigration Dimitris Kairides will go to Ankara to meet with his Turkish counterpart Ali Gerlikaya. The next regular European Council to be held at the end of the month in Brussels is considered critical. Everyone agrees that it is crucial to strike at the root of the problem, which is the networks of illegal traffickers.