Von der Leyen highlights, in her letter to EU leaders ahead of Thursday’s European Council meeting in Brussels (which follows the NATO Summit in The Hague starting tonight with the leaders’ dinner), the instrumentalization of migration flows by Libya, which have multiplied in recent months with Crete as the main destination.

In the six-page letter obtained by protothema.gr, Ms. von der Leyen sharply criticizes Libya’s strategic choice, specifically Haftar’s government, to “open the tap” from Tobruk port. According to reports, over the weekend — before the meeting of Greece’s National Security Council (KYSEA), where the issue was discussed — Kyriakos Mitsotakis had spoken with the Commission President to outline the problem.

“We must maintain close cooperation and continue providing economic and operational support to the Libyan authorities, especially regarding search and rescue operations. However, given the situation and the potential use of migration for political purposes, we must also be able to work with the various actors on the ground,” von der Leyen writes in her letter to EU leaders. She also informs them that she has asked the Commissioner for Migration, Magnus Brunner, to visit Libya soon and meet with authorities in both Western and Eastern Libya. “It is essential that we work with them {…} to insist on strengthening border management and combating migrant smuggling, managing work visas and further movements towards the EU, as well as ensuring protection and voluntary returns from Libya to the countries of origin,” she adds.

Frigates and the Summit

Von der Leyen’s letter is aligned with Mitsotakis’s intention to put the issue on the EU leaders’ agenda and secure a reference in the European Council conclusions. The Prime Minister seeks a European position that will “count” for the Libyan authorities, while also aiming to keep communication channels open — especially with the Benghazi administration, which has recently made erratic moves.

Mitsotakis announced his intention to raise the issue at the highest European level, along with his decision to deploy frigates off Libya, in international waters, to support the Coast Guard’s efforts in dealing with the increased flows. Notably, at the KYSEA meeting on Sunday where the issue was discussed, the Navy Chief Dimitris Kataras was present, along with Defense Minister Nikos Dendias and the Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, Dimitris Choupis.

179% increase in flows

The figures speak for themselves: migrant flows from Libya to Greece have surged explosively in recent months. From January 1 to Sunday, June 5, 5,083 migrants arrived in Crete, compared to 1,821 arrivals in the same period of 2024 — an increase of 179%! It is also telling that throughout 2024, 4,935 migrants arrived in Crete, meaning that in the first five months of this year, more migrants have already arrived than in the whole of the previous year.