Italy, Greece, Malta, Cyprus warn of Middle East refugee surge

Italy, Greece, Malta and Cyprus cautioned that a new wave of refugees from the Middle East could soon reach Europe. The four Mediterranean states met on the sidelines of the Europe‑Gulf Forum, reaffirming their cooperation on migration security, aid to affected populations, the EU migration‑and‑asylum pact and protection of EU external borders in line with international law. They agreed to tighten ties with origin and transit countries, intensify the fight against smugglers and consider activating the EU crisis mechanism for high‑force situations. Italy’s interior minister Matteo Piantedosi plans to host a follow‑up meeting with his Cypriot, Greek and Maltese counterparts in Rome on 17 June 2026.

At the same time, Spain announced a plan to legalise roughly half a million migrants, while Germany’s police union warned of a fresh refugee influx. The German union’s statement included the observation that “Man spricht mittlerweile nur noch Inklusion und nicht mehr von Integration”.