Greece urges EU to fully implement migration and asylum pact

Greek Deputy Minister for Migration and Asylum Sevi Voloudaki said Greece is confronting a shift in migration routes from the Aegean Sea to South Crete, with Libya now the main point of departure. She described the new route as longer, more dangerous for migrants and highly profitable for smuggling networks.

Voloudaki called for the complete implementation of the EU migration and asylum pact and a common European return policy, stressing that a credible asylum system must be paired with the return of migrants without a claim. She highlighted Greece’s recent improvements, including functional reception facilities, the abolition of "protective custody" for unaccompanied minors, a national rapid‑response mechanism for vulnerable children, increased monitoring of the Libyan sea, new reception structures on Crete and intensified diplomatic cooperation with origin and transit countries.