The meeting of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis with the Commissioner for Internal Affairs of the EU, Ylva Johansson at the Ministry of Immigration has ended. The Prime Minister’s speech is currently underway, and a debate will follow, which will be held between the Minister for Immigration and Asylum and the Home Affairs Commissioner.

The Minister of State Stavros Papastavrou and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Giorgos Gerapetritis also met with the Commissioner for Internal Affairs of the European Commission earlier.

With regard to the meeting with Mr. Papastavrou, both the minister and the Commissioner “reaffirmed their commitment to combat the activity of illegal immigrant trafficking networks that exploit human suffering” is indicated in a relevant press release of the Presidency of the Government.

Mr. Papastavrou praised the initiative of the European Commission for the creation of a global alliance with the aim of combating migrant trafficking, saying that “it is an undertaking that must be transformed into actions immediately, while it is a central issue that must attract global support”.

The Minister proposed the creation of a network of national coordinators to combat migrant smugglers, which the Commissioner welcomed and committed to look into. While he emphasized that “we need a new legal framework that prevents and suppresses the trafficking of immigrants. The old – 20 years old – framework must be modernized and the international cooperation framework must be strengthened.”

Finally, Mr. Papastavrou spoke about the need to create an effective, European framework for immigrant returns, which, as he said, must become “more effective and more practical. Returns are not a bilateral issue, but a European issue. And as such it should be treated” he characteristically concluded.