Greece is committed to tackling illegal migration while improving the framework for legal migration, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Wednesday during a visit to the Ministry of Migration and Asylum.
The ministry is now led by Makis Voridis following a recent cabinet reshuffle.
“The main goals are to reduce illegal migration and to structure legal migration in a way that meets genuine, documented labor demands,” Mitsotakis stated.
He emphasized a clear distinction in policy: “If someone qualifies for asylum, we will embrace them. But if someone enters illegally, we will make every effort to ensure their return to their home country.” He noted that the forthcoming European return system would equip Greece with essential tools to implement this approach.
On legal migration, Mitsotakis underscored the need to align it with specific workforce shortages, with the Ministry of Migration taking a central role in coordinating efforts across relevant government bodies.
He also clarified that securing Greece’s borders falls under the purview of the Ministries of Citizen Protection and Shipping, not the Migration Ministry.
Mitsotakis highlighted a 36% drop in migration flows during the early months of 2025. He also addressed the completion of reception facilities on eastern Aegean islands, noting that Greece now has robust infrastructure in place. “Our hope is that these facilities never need to reach full capacity,” he added.