Minister Voridis made his remarks during a speech at the Second Ministerial Conference of the Khartoum Process, which took place in Egypt on Wednesday.
Athens supports a strict migration policy focusing on return and the fight against illegal migration, said Voridis.
He stressed that migration management requires a comprehensive, realistic, and decisive approach, emphasizing that a reliable system must have functional return mechanisms.
Voridis also highlighted that return is a key pillar for the effectiveness and credibility of the European migration and asylum framework.
"Greece consistently supports the return strategy and welcomes the fact that both the Cairo Ministerial Declaration and the Action Plan put this issue at the centre of attention,” he affirmed, urging states to strengthen their cooperation in this area.
Voridis emphasized the importance of legal and organized migration, arguing that the Greece-Egypt agreement should become a model of bilateral cooperation.
He underscored that the positive side of migration is based on legality, control, and mutual benefit.
"There is no tolerance for smugglers' illegal practices," he said.
Referring to the New European Pact on Migration and Asylum, the minister conveyed the need for a balanced approach that fairly shares responsibilities and effectively guards external borders.
Furthermore, he stressed that the pact's external dimension must acquire substantial and practical content through enhanced cooperation with countries of origin and transit.
“Europe needs less words and more actions. Partnerships must be binding and measurable – not general declarations without effect,” he stated.
Meeting FM
On the sidelines of the conference, Voridis also held separate bilateral meetings with some ministers.
He met with Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Migration Ambassador Nabil Habashi, Minister of Labor Mohamed Gobran, and EU Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner.
The main topic of the discussions was strengthening the implementation of the Greek-Egyptian migration and mobility agreement, signed in 2024, focusing on the employment of Egyptian workers in Greece, especially in the agricultural and fisheries sectors.
The agreement was also expanded to include the construction sector.
Additionally, the two countries agreed to strengthen coordination to increase the rate of illegal immigrants' return.
The Greek minister also extended an official invitation to his Egyptian counterpart to visit Athens.
Deputy Minister of Immigration and Asylum Sevi Voloudaki and Secretary General of Migration Policy Manos Logothetis accompanied Minister Voridis to Egypt.
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