Greek Migration Minister Plevris Calls for Stricter Measures on Libya‑Cretan Route

Immigration Minister Thanos Plevris said Greece will consider tougher actions if the migrant flow from Libya to Crete persists, stressing that the country does not want a “Libya‑Crete line” to become established. He noted that overall arrivals in the Eastern Aegean have fallen about 70 % compared with 2025, but pressure remains on the specific Libya‑Crete corridor. New facilities are being built in Agia, Chania, and a closed‑type reception centre is slated for the former Skouloudi warehouses on the Heraklion‑Moiria highway, to be operational by July.

Plevris also linked the issue to domestic politics, describing the upcoming election contest as a “derby” for second place between Alexis Tsipras and Nikos Androulaki, and commenting that former prime minister Antonis Samaras is unlikely to form a new party. He criticized PASOK for not supporting the EU return regulation, noting that the new EU Migration and Asylum Pact, effective 12 June, tightens asylum eligibility and return procedures. Under the new rules, the asylum grant rate has fallen from 72 % to 40 %, and 1,255 asylum revocations were recorded in the first half of 2026, compared with 800 over the previous 15 years.