The Slovenian Presidency of the European Union convened an extraordinary teleconference of the EU Interior Ministers today, on the subject of the compounding immigration pressures on the Lithuanian-Belarusian border.
Attending the meeting was also Greece's Minister of Immigration and Asylum, Mr Notis Mitarakis, who, according to a relevant press release, referred to the "solidarity shown by Greece to Lithuania from the first moment of the crisis, through the exchange of know-how on border issues, reception and asylum, but also through material and human resources support under the FRONTEX force ".
However, Mitarakis also stressed that "the solidarity that Greece, together with the other front-line Member States, seeks in the context of the reform of the European immigration and asylum policy, has proven it in practice and in essence to anyone who needs it, such as Lithuania and Latvia, and Poland."
The Migration Minister stressed the need for collective action of the EU.
"In response to the recent systematic attempts by third countries to weaponise immigration for political reasons, such as Belarus' reprehensible actions, should not be seen as some isolated event, but be understood as a deliberate strategy by various countries, beginning with the events of March 2020 at the Greek-Turkish border."
He also recalled the recent letter sent by nine Member States, at the initiative of Greece and the Netherlands, requesting a review of European immigration policy.
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