Minister of Migration and Asylum, Makis Voridis, participated in the second ministerial meeting between Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria, which took place today in Sofia. The meeting was attended by the Bulgarian Interior Minister, Daniel Mitov, and the Turkish Interior Minister, Ali Yerlikaya.

The meeting focused on deepening cooperation between the three countries to more effectively manage migration flows, enhance border security, and promote returns to countries of origin.

As Mr. Voridis pointed out, “we now have tangible and concrete evidence of the way forward. Something that started as an initiative in 2023 is already producing concrete and measurable results.” The Minister of Immigration and Asylum stressed that “we are seeing a 30% reduction in arrivals at our land borders compared to 2024, while the reduction in flows to the Aegean islands is 38%. The cooperation of the Coast Guard and the Greek Police with the respective services of Turkey is yielding visible results and sends a clear message to smugglers: border control belongs to the states again.”

The border is now back in the hands of the authorities.

On the crucial issue of returns, Mr. Voridis pointed out that “without a return policy, there can be no meaningful immigration policy. Return to the rule of law requires a clear distinction between the beneficiary of international protection and the irregular migrant. In the absence of an effective return mechanism, an institutional vacuum is created that undermines the social acceptance of any migration policy.”.

Voridis also stressed that the pressure of migratory flows through Libya has increased, which creates new challenges for border management and makes it necessary to expand cooperation, not only in the field of border management, but also in the fight against illegal trafficking and crime. “It is crucial that our cooperation in the field of trafficking and crime be strengthened and operate more effectively. I think we can say with great pride and in a very clear way that this cooperation is producing concrete results. Border control is back in the hands of the States. It is not left in the hands of organised circuits.”

The Minister of Immigration and Asylum warmly thanked his counterparts for their excellent cooperation and extended an invitation for the next trilateral meeting, which is scheduled to take place in Athens next November.

In parallel with the trilateral meeting, Mr. Voridis had a bilateral meeting with the Bulgarian Interior Minister, Daniel Mitov, while he also held talks with his Turkish counterpart, Ali Yerlikaya, on the sidelines of the meeting.