Latest news with #Voridis
Libya Review
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Libya Review
Greece Seeks Migration Deal with Eastern Libya to Halt Boat Departures
Greece is seeking to sign a migration agreement with Libyan authorities aimed at intercepting migrant boats departing from eastern Libya, as arrivals to Crete and Gavdos islands sharply increase, according to Info Migrants newspaper. The move mirrors the controversial 2017 Italy-Libya agreement to stem migrant flows across the Mediterranean. Greek Minister of Migration and Asylum, Makis Voridis, revealed a 174% increase in irregular arrivals from Libya since the start of 2025. He expressed hopes of striking a deal with Libya to manage these flows, citing the pressing need to control rising landings on southern Greek islands. Local port authorities in Crete reported that nearly 3,000 migrants had arrived by mid-May, with over 500 rescued during 23–24 May alone. Many are Sudanese nationals fleeing war, according to Greek officials. However, German outlet Deutsche Welle noted that Voridis lacks a reliable Libyan partner to negotiate with. Eastern Libya, the origin of most boats, is beyond the control of Tripoli's internationally recognised government, which signed the 2017 agreement with Rome. Analysts also point to the absence of adequate funding to convince armed groups operating along the eastern coast to halt boat departures. Under the Italy-Libya pact, Rome provided funding and technical support to intercept migrant vessels. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that 21,762 migrants were intercepted by Libya's coastguard in 2024 and returned to Libya—higher than 2023's 17,190 figure. Rights groups warn of systemic abuse. NGOs and journalists have documented torture, forced detention, and sexual violence against returnees. In June 2024, German NGO Sea-Watch released a video showing Libyan coastguards beating migrants rescued by a commercial ship. The group denounced European complicity in 'systemic human rights violations.' Amnesty International also criticised Italy's continued support for Libya's coastguard under its 2025 decree. Spokesperson Anneliese Baldaccini told the Italian parliament that the UN considers Libya unsafe for returned migrants and noted that a UN fact-finding mission found 'reasonable grounds to believe crimes against humanity are being committed.' Tags: CreteGreeceImmigrationlibyaMediterraneanmigrants
Libya Observer
4 days ago
- Politics
- Libya Observer
Greece seeks agreement with Libya to curb migration flows
Greece is seeking to sign an agreement with Libya to manage the flow of illegal migration from its shores and is calling for greater European support to secure its borders. The move comes amid a significant increase in the number of migrants departing from Libya and North Africa toward Europe since the beginning of this year. According to Germany's Deutsche Welle radio on Saturday, a growing dispute has emerged between Germany and Greece over how to handle the migration issue, with Athens rejecting Berlin's plans to transfer undocumented migrants to Greece. Greek Minister for Migration and Asylum, Makis Voridis, stated last week that there has been an approximately 174% increase in the number of illegal migrants leaving Libya for Greece since the start of the year. He expressed hope for an agreement with Libya to manage and curb illegal migration flows, similar to the 2017 deal between Italy and the Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli. While Voridis revealed plans to visit Libya soon to explore a migration management agreement, Deutsche Welle noted that the Greek minister currently lacks a reliable partner in Libya to negotiate such a deal. Additionally, he does not have the financial means to persuade armed groups to halt the migrant boats departing from eastern Libya toward the island of Crete. Under the 2017 agreement, Rome provided financial and technical support to Libyan authorities to prevent boats carrying hundreds of migrants from leaving the Libyan coast. The deal also facilitated the tracking, interception, and return of thousands of migrants who had crossed the Mediterranean toward Europe. Deutsche Welle also pointed to the emergence of a new migration route used by migrants seeking to reach Europe—from the eastern Libyan city of Tobruk to Greece's Crete island. This contrasts with the more commonly used route from western Libya to Italy's Lampedusa Island, which had long been the main path for migrants crossing the Mediterranean to Europe.
Libya Review
4 days ago
- Politics
- Libya Review
Greece Eyes Libya Cooperation to Block Boats from Eastern Coast
Greece is seeking a migration agreement with Libya to reduce the rising number of irregular migrant departures from the Libyan coast, according to a report published by German broadcaster Deutsche Welle. Greek authorities report a 174% increase in crossings from Libya to Greece since the beginning of 2024, raising pressure on national and European migration systems Greek Minister of Migration and Asylum, Makis Voridis, confirmed that Athens wants a formal deal with Libyan authorities to control flows across the eastern Mediterranean. The goal is to prevent more boats from departing Libya's shores, especially from eastern areas such as Tobruk, toward the Greek island of Crete. Voridis said he hopes to visit Libya soon to begin talks. The model under consideration is similar to the 2017 agreement between Italy and Libya, which involved Italian funding and logistical support to help Libyan forces stop migrant boats and return those intercepted at sea. However, Greece currently lacks a clear Libyan counterpart and the financial leverage to influence armed groups that control much of eastern Libya's coastal territory. The report highlighted that a new migration route has emerged from Tobruk to Crete, which is now being used alongside the more familiar western Libya–Lampedusa path. Eastern Libya has become a departure point for more organized smuggling networks, operating with limited oversight. The most serious incident on this route occurred in June 2023, when the fishing boat Adriana, which departed from Tobruk, capsized near Greek waters. Around 600 migrants died in what became one of the deadliest shipwrecks in recent years. Following the tragedy, 17 members of the Greek coast guard, including the commander of the patrol boat LS-920, were charged in court for failing to assist the vessel and contributing to the outcome. Greece is calling for more EU support to address the spike in crossings from North Africa. Officials in Athens argue that Libya must be part of any serious effort to manage migration in the central and eastern Mediterranean. However, Libya's internal divisions and militia control make negotiations difficult and enforcement uncertain. Tags: Deutsche WelleGreecelibyamigration
Time of India
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Greece to toughen migration laws: Minister
Representative AI image Greece plans to eliminate a provision allowing irregular migrants to apply for residency after seven years in the country, the migration minister announced Thursday, saying the rule had been abused. Makis Voridis said he is scrapping an existing provision that enables irregular migrants to apply for a residence permit after seven years in the country in a toughening of migration laws. "The longer you were (in the country) illegally, the bigger your prize. "From now on, whoever is in Greece illegally will never be legalised, will never get a residence permit," he said, pointing out that some 55-65,000 people enter Greece illegally every year, with half granted asylum. The police last year arrested 74,000 irregular migrants, but could only expel 2,500, he told broadcaster Skai. Detainees often claim a false country of origin to avoid deportation, stalling the process for months, Voridis said. "There must be (sanctions) for those who persist in staying even though they are not legally here," he said. The new draft law, approved by the cabinet on Wednesday, carries a prison sentence of up to five years for illegal entry and residence, he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo The draft's parliamentary passage, slated for June, is essentially assured with the government enjoying a majority. Administrative detention prior to deportation will be extended to a maximum two years, up from a maximum 18 months currently, he said. Irregular migrants can choose voluntary repatriation to avoid any sanctions, he said. Voridis said new regulations to encourage legal migration will be presented by July. According to Bank of Greece governor Yiannis Stournaras, the country is short of around 200,000 labourers.
New European
26-05-2025
- Politics
- New European
‘You are not welcome here'
Voridis first came to prominence in 2014 when he was appointed health minister, and people cottoned on to his ultra-nationalist links. Then in 2023 he made headlines for saying that, if it came to a vote, he wouldn't support same-sex marriage. In a political system plagued by accusations of corruption and cronyism, few Greek ministers can claim to be controversy-free. But the new minister for migration and asylum, Makis Voridis, is in a league of his own. Back in the 1980s, he led the youth wing of a fascist party founded by Greece's former dictator Georgios Papadopoulos. There's even a photograph of Voridis wielding an axe against leftist students. And so the prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, put him in charge of helping refugees. It was partly a response to the protests in March, when hundreds of thousand took to the streets after the 2023 Tempi rail disaster. Greece's worst-ever train crash killed 57 people, and there's a broad view that the government response has been inept. In an attempt to help his approval ratings, Mitsotakis went for a cabinet shake-up, which is when Voridis got his new job. 'I was devastated,' says Lefteris Papagiannakis, director of the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR). 'Because I know exactly who Voridis is, what he stands for.' The GCR provides legal aid and other support for asylum seekers and refugees, which makes it precisely the sort of organisation Voridis will see as an obstacle to his hardline agenda. 'We're seeing a symbolic change in the narrative – much more direct, much more aggressive. At least, that's the image he wants to project. But I don't think he'll actually be able to make all the changes he's shouting about. I don't think Greece will manage to change the European policy at the level he wants.' Voridis is the latest in a stream of hardliners in Greek politics. 'Putin has a higher approval rating here than anywhere else in Europe, so the 'strong man' model people really respond to,' says Papagiannakis. 'Mitsotakis knows this, so he's using them to appeal to the far right electorate.' While the prime minister is supposedly centrist, you'll often see Greeks referring to this political stance in air quotes. Since coming to power in 2019, his New Democracy party has pushed policies that blur the line between mainstream conservatism and far right nationalism, such as tightening immigration laws and cracking down on press freedoms. More from this author The horror of Greece's femicide Hester Underhill And while Voridis might not live up to his bold claims, his appointment couldn't have come at a worse time for Papagiannakis and his organisation. Trump's foreign aid cuts have put the Greek Refugee Council's future in danger, as the NGO was heavily reliant on the UNHCR to finance its operations. 'We might not be the only organisation advocating for refugees here, but we're one of the only ones that really bites. We use the legal system to hold the government accountable for its actions. So the government will really benefit from all these funding cuts, because if there are no NGOs around to challenge them, they can get away with whatever they like. And that scares me.' Earlier this year his organisation helped to win a landmark case at the European Court of Human Rights for a woman forcibly sent back to Turkey despite her attempts to seek protection. Greece was found guilty of carrying out a policy of illicit deportation – the first time the country had been publicly condemned for conducting the 'systematic' repatriation of refugees. But a new EU migration pact that comes into force next year might lead to even more rights violations. The pact on migration and asylum is meant to be 'a fresh start' for the EU. It will give member states three options: relocate a certain number of asylum seekers, pay €20,000 per claimant they refuse to relocate, or finance operational support, such as staff and equipment. 'It will make things worse,' says Papagiannakis. 'Because we'll just end up seeing more illegal detentions and pushbacks.' And with new political figures like Voridis in positions of authority, the question isn't just how the Greek government will handle the flow of migrants across its borders, but who will be left to hold them accountable. Hester Underhill is a freelance British journalist currently based in Athens
