Minister of Migration and Asylum, Thanos Plevris, referred to the latest migratory flows from Libya and the transfer of 247 foreigners to detention centres, the timetable for the creation of a closed structure in Crete and the new European Union pact, which will come into force in 2026.

Speaking to MEGA a few hours before leaving for Copenhagen to be present at the Council of Immigration Ministers initially, Plevris noted that “the Ministry of Immigration is responsible for the flows once they reach land. The struggle of the municipal authorities and the Coast Guard is concrete. We are trying to choose other routes, implementing deterrent measures. The 247 migrants from Libya are in detention without being entitled to asylum. They pick up the phone and say they are being detained, not accommodated. This is very important to us and we insist. We should have three organized places in Crete, so that the phenomenon of being piled up in the ports is not detected,” he said, speaking to MEGA.

“The Crete sites are temporarily open until the migrants are transferred to the facilities. This may take a few days. Wherever the police indicate to us, the structures will be closed in discussion with the local communities. With the technical services we have seen the sites, it is not easy to set up the structures in the time we wanted. We have indicated to the Mayors that we are moving forward with the three existing structures and the plan to create a closed structure remains.

The time is over six months de facto, with the procedures also provided by the European Union. In the hinterland there will be no new structure. Some of them, which meet the criteria (have a fence, cameras, etc.), will be handed over to the police,” he further noted.

Making special reference to the new European Union pact on migration, which will come into force on July 1, 2026, Plevris stressed that irregular migrants will be taken to third countries and will not be detained in member states.

“Today, I am leaving for Copenhagen for the Council of Immigration Ministers. Right now, in Europe, the conversation is about two main issues: Increasing returns and closed centres in third countries outside the European Union. These are positions expressed by Kyriakos Mitsotakis since 2019, but back then there was a perception of “how do you integrate them and how do you solve issues?” They did not hear that the flows are so large that we need to go to innovative solutions. These centers will be funded by the European Union and that’s where any asylum process will be done,” he stressed.