Anger at Germany

Asylum crisis: Greeks fear “nightmare like 2015”

Greece is the first stop in Europe for many migrants from the Middle East. Onward travel to Germany is now to be practically ruled out by increased controls at all German borders.

(Bild: APA/EPA/GEORGI LICOVSKI)

Since Monday, Germany has been controlling all external borders - for at least six months. Greece is anything but pleased about this. "The tug-of-war with Berlin and the nightmare of 2015", fears the Athens daily Kathimerini, for example, a European chain reaction of border closures similar to the one that led to the major refugee crisis in 2015. Days ago, the Greek head of government Kyriakos Mitsotakis strongly criticized Germany's actions. 

Germany wants to turn away and repatriate more refugees by tightening border controls - including to Austria. This is causing resentment. Not only in Vienna, but above all in Athens. For many migrants from the Middle East, Greece is their first stop in Europe. 

Greece: concerns about more migrants in the country
According to a report in the Greek newspaper "Kathimerini", the number of migrants in Greece could rise sharply again due to increased returns of people who have been granted asylum in Greece or have applied for asylum there but have traveled on to Germany, as well as reduced social benefits for asylum seekers and rejections at German borders.

Migrants in Greece

(Bild: APA/AFP/LOUISA GOULIAMAKI)

"Domino effect" for countries receiving first arrivals
The newspaper "Apogevmatini" is also not sparing with its criticism of Germany. Its headline reads: "Germany blows up Schengen Agreement" and predicts a "domino effect" for first-time host countries such as Greece.

"Germany closes borders, Erdogan opens the floodgates. Concerns about the new migration crisis", the newspaper "Eleftheros Typos" echoes the same sentiment. 

Newspaper calls for alliance with Austria and Co. 
And "To Vima" writes: "Closed borders, open wounds" and reports that Greece will not accept the return of migrants and is already in the process of forging alliances with the governments of Austria, Poland, but also Spain, Bulgaria and Malta.

Mitsotakis angry with Germany
The Greek head of government, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, criticized the German government's decision to introduce border controls days ago.

Not the best of friends at the moment: Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (left) and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz

(Bild: AFP)

Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis told the TV station Antena: "I want it to be clear: Greece will not be the punching bag of other countries. We are not the country that solves problems that I believe other European countries have caused through bad policies."

Greece will not be the punching bag of other countries. We are not the country that solves problems that I believe other European countries have caused through bad policies.

Der griechische Regierungssprecher Pavlos Marinakis

Greece wants to strengthen border protection with Turkey
Athens has now announced that it wants to extend the fence on the Turkish-Greek border river Evros even further and hire at least 150 additional border guards. Mitsotakis recently called for the EU to help with this. Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis emphasized that Greece is not only protecting Greek borders with these measures, but also European borders. "We are complying with the latest EU asylum reform and the rules of the Schengen area," he said during a visit to the border.

Turkish-Greek border river Evros

(Bild: APA/AFP/Sakis MITROLIDIS)

According to the EU border protection agency Frontex, the number of migrants arriving in other countries fell this year. Greece, on the other hand, has seen an increase of almost 40 percent to around 37,000 people since the beginning of the year compared to the same period last year. However, the fewest migrants cross the border from Turkey to Greece - according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, there have been around 5,000 migrants so far this year.

By boat to the EU
In contrast, more than 30,000 irregular arrivals came by boat from the Turkish west coast to the Greek islands in the eastern Aegean. In addition, the number of those making their way directly from Libya by boat to Crete also increased - around 3,000 people have arrived there so far this year.