By Penelope Galliou

Athens is putting up a common front with other European partners, against Berlin and its political decision to tighten controls on the German land borders, undermining its treaty Schengen zone.

From the first moment that Germany caused tremors in the European agreements to deal with immigration, Greece, through its Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has already made clear its intention not to allow the problem that Germany is facing with immigration to spread to other countries as well. and eventually become Greek.

“This is not something that can easily be tolerated”, the prime minister emphasized in a recent interview. At a time when Athens has responded and continues to respond effectively to the obligations deriving from European rules and agreements, for the protection of its borders European Unionwhat is being communicated is that any other effort against her, in relation to the disproportionate management of immigration, will find her on the other side.

Athens does not wish to come into direct confrontation with the Berlinas government sources comment, but what is sought is cooperation at the European level to deal with a common problem. This is also the message sent by the Minister of Immigration and Asylum, Nikos Panagiotopoulos, to the German Deputy Minister of the Interior Byrd Crosher during the meeting they had last night in Berlin, shortly before the Conference on Security and Borders which starts today in the German capital.

The position of the Greek side against Germany’s pressure for the return of immigrants and an increase in benefits to them, according to sources, he opposes the observance of three political decisions, as they have been taken at the European level and concern the operation of the Schengen Zone by all countries so that it is not disrupted the free movement within the EU, the Agreement on Migration and Asylum and the agreement with Turkey on refugee returns.

The tightening and expansion of German controls on the land borders with its neighboring countries is estimated to risk triggering domino developments. That is why, even though the government does not consider the situation alarming at the moment, Athens remains on constant vigilance for the possibility that other European countries, and especially those bordering Greece, may follow Germany’s example, increasing the pressure to our country.

“Greece is not going to be “the punching bag” or to be the country which, because it was followed, in my opinion, a wrong policy by other European countries, this will solve the problem for the others” emphasized the government representative, Pavlos Marinakisspecifying the intentions of Greece and outlining the red lines of our country. In the same mood was the position of the Minister of Climate Crisis, Vassilis Kikilia, remarking that “They want to close their borders and blow up Europe. They are in deep trouble if they think that they will cut and sew Europe according to their own wishes or data,” he warned speaking to SKAI, revealing Athens’ intentions.

A key role for finding a common solution to dealing with immigration is the implementation of the Agreement on Migration and Asylum, and in this direction it will continue the pressures and processes with other countries as well. In this context, Nikos Panagiotopoulos is also expected to move to Berlin and his contacts there.

In a week the prime minister leaves for New York where on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly he will have a meeting with the Turkish president and there, as everything seems, immigration is expected to rise higher on the agenda of the two leaders.

In October, it is not excluded that the prime minister will be in Berlin, while the Summit of the Berlin Process is scheduled for the 14th of the following month, during which alliances are expected to have already been built by the European host countries.

Yesterday, Kyriakos Mitsotakis met the French Foreign Minister Stéphane Cezournet, who will also be the new Commissioner of France in the Commission, at the Maximos Palace. A little earlier, in the joint statements with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Giorgos Gerapetritis, Mr. Sezourne had stated that “we must do everything to implement the Pact on Migration. It is high stakes to show that the texts voted in Europe are workable. There should be no different approaches regarding immigration in Europe”, agreeing with the Greek positions. The Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs, Giorgos Gerapetritis, had earlier stated that Greece and France are coordinating “in order to prioritize our actions in the direction of implementing the Pact”.