EU migration deal ‘historic’ for Greek government, financial ‘solidarity’ for opposition
The long-awaited EU migration deal, which was sealed by the European Parliament on Wednesday, has caused mixed feelings in Greece, a front-line country.
While the government hailed the agreement as crucial step toward EU unification, the leftist opposition expressed concerns about its practical implementation.
“This is a major breakthrough and a crucial step towards a common, and therefore more effective, management of the migration challenges of our time”, Migration and Asylum Minister Dimitris Kairidis commented.
He added that it was a “historic day” for the European unification on a critical issue around which “some have preferred division to consensus”.
“Today, we proved that the European peoples can do better together”, he noted.
However, leftist main opposition MEP Kostas Arvanitis said it was a “dark day” for Europe, Greece and those who flee violence and conflict.
A ‘financial’ solidarity
The EU lawmaker said mandatory relocation has ceased to be the only form of solidarity in times of crisis, and member states can choose to pay, effectively “subsidise” front-line countries to hold refugees and asylum seekers.
The new deal provides that there must be “mandatory solidarity” toward front-line countries. Other member states could decide to accept refugees from front-line countries or provide them with economic and other resources.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has already indicated that Warsaw will not accept any refugees from other countries.
Arvanitis explained that once member states can opt for financial “solidarity”, this will inevitably put all the burden on front-line countries such as Greece and the rest of the South and turn them into “warehouses of souls, European Guantanamo”.
Greece was among the southern European countries that, at the beginning of negotiations three years ago, was pushing for the mandatory relocation of refugees.
A 2016 EU-Turkey statement aimed at stopping the flow of irregular migration via Turkey to Europe largely remains unfunctional and often, according to Athens, depends on Turkish foreign policy priorities toward Greece.
In February 2020, Greece accused Turkey of attempting to “weaponise” migration to blackmail by sending thousands of migrants to the land border of Evros in northern Greece.
Athens reacted by strengthening the borders, blocking migrants from entering. The move was praised by the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) chief Manfred Weber at an event in Athens last weekend.
“Greek Prime Minister stood up to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan”, Weber said.
(Sarantis Michalopoulos | Euractiv.com)
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