Oct 17, 2024 – Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has expressed skepticism about extending the migrant agreement between Italy and Albania to the wider European Union, suggesting the deal may not be applicable on a larger, EU-wide scale.
The deal between Italy and Albania, which involves setting up migrant processing centers in Albania, has been hailed by some as a potential solution for managing migration in the region. However, speaking ahead of an EU summit in Brussels, Mitsotakis warned that trying to replicate the arrangement across the EU might not be practical or effective.
“This is a bilateral deal between Italy and Albania,” Mitsotakis said. “It’s not clear to me whether it can be applied across the whole EU. We need to see if it even works on this scale. If we were to expand it, where would those people go?” he added, raising concerns about the logistics of deporting migrants who fail to qualify for asylum.
The agreement aims to create migrant centers in Albania under Italy’s asylum laws, allowing migrants to be processed outside the EU’s borders before reaching Europe. This, supporters argue, could ease pressure on frontline EU countries like Greece and Italy. But Mitsotakis pointed out the complexities involved in scaling up such a model, particularly when dealing with the legal and logistical challenges of multiple countries.
The topic of migration will be a key focus at the EU summit on October 17-18, as leaders grapple with how to control irregular migration while ensuring legal pathways remain open for those seeking asylum. Mitsotakis also called for increased efforts to deport those whose asylum claims have been rejected, noting that the current deportation rate stands at around 20%. “There are people who have been denied asylum. What are we doing with them? The deportation process needs to be more efficient,” he said.
Greece, which has long been on the front lines of migration as the gateway to Europe, has been heavily involved in managing migrant flows. Mitsotakis emphasized that while Greece has saved thousands of lives at sea, it is also critical to make illegal entry more difficult. “We’re a continent that is shrinking, and we need workers—both skilled and unskilled—to maintain our productivity,” he added.
