Ahram Online: What specific agreements or initiatives has Greece established with Egypt to manage migration and enhance cooperation?
Thanos Plevris: Greece maintains a close and friendly relationship with Egypt, especially in the field of migration. In particular, there is a bilateral agreement for fishing and land workers, which we want to extend to other sectors of labour activity. At the same time, we are cooperating with Egypt in the area of managing irregular migration, as the message we both want to give is that anyone who wants to come to Greece must choose the legal route; on the contrary, anyone who comes illegally will be subject to sanctions. Regarding the bilateral agreement on regular migration, the electronic platform for interested parties is already in operation, and more than 5,000 Egyptian citizens are expected to benefit from this agreement. In fact, a month ago, meetings were held in Cairo at a technical level between executives from the two countries to facilitate and make this specific process even more user-friendly.
AO: How do you see the role of Greece-Egypt cooperation in contributing to regional stability?
TP: The bilateral cooperation between Greece and Egypt is very helpful for regional stability. For this reason, we are in constant communication with both the Egyptian consular authorities in Athens and with officials in Egypt to cooperate in preventing illegal arrivals.
AO: What are the plans for future dialogues to strengthen cooperation on immigration issues, and what key topics do you intend to prioritize in these discussions?
TP: We want to expand our cooperation on legal migration and have better results in this area, but on the other hand, we also want to strengthen our cooperation in the area of managing illegal migration, with an emphasis on the return of illegal residents in Greece.
To that end, a new law from our ministry, which prioritizes returns, will soon be put to a parliamentary vote. Under this legislation, anyone found to be in Greece illegally faces a prison sentence of up to five years. This makes it crucial for Greece to send a clear message: irregular residents face a choice between imprisonment or return and deportation to their country of origin.
AO: What specific initiatives have been implemented as part of the Greece-Egypt cooperation to enhance border security and monitor migration flows in the Mediterranean region?
TP: There is a very well-established cooperation at this level, and for this reason, there are no arrivals from Egypt to the European continent. Consequently, the existing cooperation of Greece with Egypt functions as a model and best practice that we want to apply bilaterally with other countries in North Africa.
AO: What are the main challenges Greece faces in managing immigration and asylum, and what long-term strategies are being developed to address them?
TP: Our main priority is to increase the returns of those illegally residing in Greece. For this reason, the new doctrine of the Greek government is that anyone who comes illegally risks either being imprisoned or voluntarily returning to their country of origin. Therefore, it is important to support the regular migration route as the only alternative for work in Greece. In this direction, we are cooperating constructively with Egypt.
AO: What are your priorities and the next major goals and initiatives for Greece’s migration and asylum policy, and how do you envision Greece's role in the broader European migration landscape?
TP: More generally, we want to have a leading role in European migration policy, and that is why we believe in a strict but fair migration policy. Europe must be open to the legal migration route and to those in need of international protection, but at the same time, it must also protect its borders. At this point, we must highlight the importance of Greece's role as a frontline country that guards its national borders, which are also the borders of Europe.
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