Germany’s recent reintroduction of border controls has sparked concern in Greece over the potential rise in irregular migration. Local authorities worry that this move might result in migrants who sought asylum in Greece being sent back after attempting to enter Germany. This development follows similar apprehensions raised by Czechia, which also fears a domino effect within the European Union.
According to reports, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is considering the return of 30,000 Afghan migrants to Greece, offering financial compensation of €15,000 for each individual. However, Greece’s Ministry of Migration has not confirmed these claims. While these concerns persist, migration is not viewed as a pressing issue by the majority of the Greek population. Only five per cent of Greeks consider migration a major problem, as noted in a Deutsche Welle report.
From January to mid-September 2024, Greece registered approximately 36,000 migrant arrivals. These numbers are considerably lower than the 860,000 who arrived during the 2015 migrant crisis. The majority of recent arrivals were from Afghanistan, Egypt, Syria, and Palestine. Despite these figures, there are no indications of an impending migration crisis in Greece at present.
Greece’s Migration Minister, Nikos Papadopoulos, has expressed concerns over Germany’s decision, urging that the spirit of the Schengen Agreement be upheld. He emphasized that unilateral actions such as reintroducing border controls could undermine the European Pact on Migration and Asylum, and ultimately, the very foundation of the European Union.
Meanwhile, Germany has defended its decision, claiming that the reintroduction of border controls has proven effective in reducing unauthorised entries. In the first five days since the new rules took effect on September 16, German authorities detected around 900 cases of unauthorised migration. According to Manuel Ostermann, Deputy Federal Chairman of Germany’s Federal Police Union, the country had been too lenient for too long, allowing people to enter without sufficient scrutiny.
Despite Germany’s arguments in favour of the controls, several EU nations, including Czechia, Poland, and Greece, have voiced strong opposition to the measure. They argue that such actions risk creating divisions within the EU and go against the principles of open borders that the Schengen Agreement was designed to protect.
Germany’s approach, while effective in curbing irregular migration, has reignited the debate on how the EU should handle migration issues, with a need for balance between national security and maintaining the core values of the European Union. Greece, alongside other countries, remains concerned that Germany’s unilateral move could lead to further disruptions in the region’s migration policies.