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ATHENS, Greece — On Monday, Greece’s migration minister dismissed criticism from humanitarian groups as a badge of honor, vowing to tighten what he described as possibly Europe’s toughest migration policy.
Thanos Plevris made the remarks to private broadcaster Action 24 amid a surge in migrant crossings from eastern Libya into the Mediterranean, as Greece’s conservative government seeks stronger coordination with Libyan authorities and advocates stricter EU‑wide migration rules.
“Those days are gone when Brussels or UN officials could simply arrive and tell Greece how to manage its migration crisis,” Plevris said.
Greece, together with several other EU members, is negotiating with African nations to set up facilities for migrants whose asylum applications have been denied in Europe—a plan that has provoked criticism from international human rights organizations.
Plevris maintained that humanitarian organizations and charities aiding migrants should have no influence over Greece’s migration policy.
He added, “Each time UN officials voice concern over my legislation, I feel proud of it. The more Amnesty International, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, or UN envoys are annoyed by our migration approach, the more I regard it as a badge of honor.”
On Monday, Saddam Hifter, deputy commander of eastern Libya’s armed forces, visited Athens for talks with Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Greece is providing eastern Libyan authorities with coast‑guard training, plus backing for employment and investment projects, aiming to deepen cooperation and reduce migrant departures across the Mediterranean.
Last week the EU adopted stricter migration measures, even though arrivals from North Africa and the Middle East have fallen.
Greece, however, has seen a spike in landings on Crete from eastern Libya. Arrivals and interceptions off the island climbed more than 20 % to 5,500 by May, compared with the same period last year, according to Greek authorities’ data released on Monday, and the trend has accelerated since early June.
Libya has turned into a key transit point for migrants from Africa and the Middle East heading to Europe. Over more than a decade of chaos, human‑trafficking networks have thrived there, moving people across its borders with Chad, Niger, Sudan, Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia.
Jalel Harchaoui, an analyst of Libyan politics and security, noted that eastern Libya is pursuing stronger diplomatic links with European nations and requesting financial aid.
Khaled reported from Cairo.
