January 28, 2025 - 12:01 PM
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece's migration minister said on Tuesday the European Union is poised to take stricter measures on migration in 2025, with a focus on expanded deportations, but would not adopt the hard-line methods used by the Trump administration.
“Sending migrants back shackled on military planes is very different from using regular commercial flights,” Nikos Panagiotopoulos told state-run ERT television. However, he also said that for Europeans: "Migration has evolved from primarily a humanitarian issue to fundamentally a security matter.”
On Thursday, EU migration and home affairs ministers will meet in the Polish capital, Warsaw, to examine more stringent efforts against migration, backed by the current Polish presidency of the bloc.
Since taking office, President Donald Trump has taken a markedly tougher approach to immigration, restricting asylum access, sending troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, and increasing immigration raids and fast-track deportations.
Greece is a key entry point for irregular migration, particularly those fleeing wars or seeking a better life. Last year, it recorded a rise in sea arrivals, fueled by wars in the Middle East. Athens strongly supports calls by many European Union member states for direct EU funding to expand border walls.
Greek authorities late Tuesday said 70 migrants had been detained off the tiny southern island of Gavdos and taken to the nearby island of Crete. ___
Follow AP’s coverage of migration issues at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
News from © The Associated Press, 2025