ATHENS, Greece (AP) 鈥 Greece is seeking stricter European Union migration policies as it braces for a potential surge in migrants and refugees due to ongoing war in the Middle East, a senior government official said Wednesday.
Migration Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos said the government is considering creating detention facilities on the has more than doubled, starting last fall.
鈥淏ased on current data, we project that by year鈥檚 end, approximately 50,000 migrants will have entered our country,鈥 Panagiotopoulos told private Action 24 television. Existing migrant camps on Greek islands are currently at full capacity, he said, but mainland facilities are at around 60%.
The minister said migrants are coming mostly from the Turkish coastline but also from North African routes with arrivals affected by Middle East conflicts. But he added: 鈥淲e are certainly seeing some flow from , but we haven鈥檛 yet seen the surge we might expect from a full-scale conflict there.鈥
Panagiotopoulos, a former defense minister, said Greece is seeking stricter migration policies under European Commission President 鈥檚 second term, but not a departure from the current negotiating framework.
A landmark is expected to take effect in mid-2026, following a new round of negotiations. Greek officials say they are seeking amendments to create more robust deportation policies and tougher external border controls.
鈥淲e鈥檙e seeking a European solution, firmly grounded in the framework of the European Migration and Asylum Pact,鈥 Panagiotopoulos said.
鈥淭he European Union spent eight years negotiating it and it was finally approved," he said. 鈥淲e now, gradually, must begin moving to the implementation phase.鈥
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