Greece aims to reduce illegal migration and better manage legal migration, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday during a visit to the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, now headed by Makis Voridis following the latest cabinet reshuffle.

“The key priorities are to curb illegal migration and to organize legal migration in a way that addresses real and documented labor shortages,” Mitsotakis said.

“If someone is entitled to asylum, we will welcome them. However, if someone enters illegally, we will do everything in our power to ensure they return to their country of origin,” he said, adding that the new European return system “will provide us with the necessary tools for this policy.”

Regarding legal migration, he stressed that it should address specific labor needs, and that the Ministry of Migration will take a leading role in coordinating the relevant ministries.

He also clarified that border security is not the responsibility of the Ministry of Migration, but of the Ministries of Citizen Protection and Shipping.

According to the prime minister, migration flows have decreased by 36% in the first months of 2025.

Mitsotakis also discussed the completion of existing reception facilities on the islands of the eastern Aegean, highlighting that Greece now has the necessary infrastructure in place. “We hope these facilities never have to operate at full capacity,” he said.

Source: Ekathimerini.com