The Alternate Minister of Migration Policy Yannis Mouzalas has argued that the government must be prepared to deal with the possibility of a border shut down, in response to new pressure from the European Commission. Mr. Mouzalas stressed that such a development would be a unilateral action from neighboring countries.
“Under the banner of humiliation we accepted even greater humiliation. We must be careful of our actions. It is war that we must fight with consequence, with our targets in sight. We will lose some things and win others” he argued. When asked about the possibility of an exclusion from the Schengen area, Mr. Mouzalas explained that other countries too would be excluded from the Schengen areas if they close their borders.
Regarding NATO’s involvement in the Aegean, which is being debated at the conference of NATO Defense Ministers on Wednesday, the Alternate Minister commented that it was a positive development, since operations will be carried out near Turkish shores.
European Commission considers deportation of refugees back to Greece
A Financial Times report alleges that the European Commission is composing a list of measures that must be taken by Greece to improve conditions for asylum seekers. Then, in accordance with the Dublin II regulation, asylum seekers will be able to be deported back to Greece, which is typically the first point of entry into the EU for many.
Although deportations to Greece have essentially been banned since the 2011 ruling of the European Court of Human Rights, which claimed that Greece’s asylum system was “degrading”, the implications of such developments may be significant. As such, with the Dublin system in disarray, the EU may consider more drastic measures, such as an exclusion from the Schengen area.
