Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras met with EU Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos on Tuesday morning, with both men agreeing that there is an urgent need to review the controversial Dublin III regulation.
The latter provides the legal basis for establishing the criteria and mechanism for determining the member state responsible for examining an asylum application lodged in one of the member states by a third country national or a stateless person, a legal framework that has put an undue burden on Greece as an EU border country.
Tsipras said such a move is necessary as a sign of European solidarity to member-states hardest hit by the migration flow. He said it was important to discuss Greece’s policy framework without petty partisan interests but for the best outcome for Greece.
Both Tsipras and Avramopoulos discussed matters concerning Greece in Europe for the best outcome in negotiations with creditors. “Negotiations are developing and maturing,” said Tsipras, adding that the Greek Commissioner also conveyed a message of friendship to Greece from European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.
“I know that the government is concerned about the Dublin regulation, and this is true for all of Europe. It is commonly agreed that something needs to change,” said Avramopoulos. He also expressed the need for Greece to develop national policy that meets the needs and regulations of Europe. “Greece is not alone in the matter of immigration, as Europe stands beside it.”
Avramopoulos, a former foreign minister and Athens mayor, underlined the need “for Greece to develop a national policy that meets the European acquis and regulations … On the issue of immigration Greece is not alone, but it has Europe on its side”.
He also emphasized that “I cannot image a government that will risk Greece’s historic achievement of being in Europe’s core.”
According to reports, out of the 9.2 billion euros will be budgeted by the European Union for issues dealing with immigration, asylum and external borders between 2014 and 2020.
Greece follows Italy and Spain in the amount of money it receives to deal with such issues, 460.7 million euros.
