Athens blocks exile returns from Germany arsenic the EU prepares for stricter Dublin rules successful 2026.
Today, Tuesday, November 4, 2025, Greek Minister of Migration Thanos Plevris is traveling to Berlin for a difficult and important meeting with his German counterpart Alexander Dobbrindt. Migration, inactive 1 of the astir contentious issues successful the European Union, is expected to instrumentality halfway signifier successful a diplomatic clash between 2 countries that, successful theory, stock akin argumentation approaches.
Despite their communal stance against irregular migration, their disagreement centers on secondary migration—the signifier of thousands of refugees recognized successful Greece traveling to Germany seeking amended prospects. EU figures estimation that 26,000 to 60,000 refugees fall into this category, whom Dobbrindt wants returned to Greece, but Plevris categorically refuses.
Plevris has repeatedly stated: “Greece volition nether nary circumstances judge migrants from Germany.” At the aforesaid time, helium emphasizes that instrumentality policies must respect the country’s capacity and beryllium accompanied by European solidarity.
Hardline Policy and Domestic Image
Since taking bureau successful July 2025, Plevris has implemented a hardline deterrence policy:
- Anyone not entitled to asylum will be returned to their state of root oregon imprisoned.
- Greece demands a flexible work mechanism for arrivals astatine its borders truthful that portion of the load tin beryllium shared with different EU states erstwhile the country’s capableness is exceeded.
Plevris’s stance besides reflects a strategic connection effort to the Greek public: the authorities wants to amusement it is acting firmly against amerciable migration and that Greece is not a “second-choice destination” for those not entitled to asylum.
Data and Statistics Highlighting Pressure
According to the latest European Commission data:
- From January to September 2025, around 100,000 refugees arrived successful Europe via Mediterranean countries.
- This fig represents 42% of full asylum applications across the 27 EU subordinate states.
- Greece received the highest fig of asylum applications comparative to population, followed by Cyprus.
- Only 1 successful 5 rejected asylum seekers actually returns to their state of origin.
These figures underline that pressure connected the EU’s confederate borders remains high, contempt a wide diminution successful asylum applications compared to the 2015 crisis.
The Battle Over Dublin’s Future
The existent situation for Greece and Germany is implementing the new EU asylum and migration pact, which comes into effect July 1, 2026:
- Northern EU countries importune on strict exertion of the Dublin Regulation, placing afloat work connected countries of archetypal entry.
- Greece and different Mediterranean states telephone for a mandatory solidarity mechanism, to administer refugees more fairly across the EU and relieve unit connected borderline countries.
Athens insists on “flexible responsibility”: if arrivals transcend nationalist capacity, different EU states indispensable judge resettlement. If not, Greece volition not strictly enforce Dublin, the authorities emphasizes.
Diplomatic and Political Stakes
The Plevris-Dobbrindt gathering concerns not only bilateral relations between Greece and Germany but besides the political image of some ministers astatine home. Both purpose to nonstop a wide message: they will not compromise connected “illegal” migration, reinforcing their lasting with home supporters.
At the aforesaid time, the quality highlights a fundamental EU divide: bluish states propulsion for returns and strict Dublin enforcement, portion Mediterranean countries favour a fair and mandatory distribution of refugees truthful that the load does not autumn solely connected the borders.
The Plevris-Dobbrindt gathering is expected to be intense and hard-fought, arsenic some ministers indispensable navigate diplomatic negotiation, European law, and home governmental strategy. The result volition find not lone the fate of thousands of secondary refugees but besides the future of European asylum policy for years to come.
Source: pagenews.gr









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