Although Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis said just yesterday in Vienna that he is trying to ‘positively view’ Germany’s recent decision to tighten controls on its land borders, the PM is clearly bristled, as revealed by his statements this morning on Greek Talk Radio.
Mitsotakis’ Strong Words
This morning on Talk Radio the Prime Minster said that Greece will not tolerate a unilateral suspension of Schengen.
While acknowledging that Germany’s decision primarily affects land borders, he emphasized that Greece has played a key role in defending Europe’s borders.
He also reiterated that Greece will continue to protect its national and European borders.
The PM also refuted, again, claims of pushbacks, and said that the Hellenic Coast Guard has saved thousands of migrants at sea and said that claims of pushbacks are offensive.
The issue of Greek pushbacks is a contentious one and has brought Greece under the microscope, not only by non-profits and international organizations working in migration, but by the European Commission itself.
While there are almost daily media reports of boats of migrants showing up on Greece’s shores requiring interventions by the Hellenic Coast guard, which mainly arrive from the shores of Turkey, the Hellenic Coast Guard’s reputation is occasionally soiled by reports of pushbacks and mass drowning incidents such as the shipwreck of Pylos.
Germany’s New Migration Policy
Germany announced this week that it will be tightening border controls in a clampdown on irregular immigration, saying that it will carry out checks on the borders with all nine neighboring countries.
The news was revealed by German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser in a press conference, and she added that the controls will be in place for six months.
Germany shares borders with Poland, Austria, France, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
Practically speaking, it is unclear how the controls will be set up as, ordinarily, travel between the neighboring countries in the Schengen area, is seamless.
And in many locations, roads wind in and out of neighboring countries, such as between Austria and Germany.
