Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has stated that Greece should not take on the European Union’s immigration problems alone, or be insulted for ignoring refugee boats, writes Reuters.
On the 14th of June, one of the deadliest ship disasters in recent years took place in the Mediterranean near the coast of Greece. The authorities managed to save 104 people, but hundreds were lost at sea when an overcrowded refugee ship capsized.
The cause of the ship disaster is still under investigation.
Survivors say the ship capsized after Greek border guards tried to tow it,
which the border guards categorically deny.
Mitsotakis pointed out that his country is at the outer border of a very dangerous Mediterranean crossing, a route used by an increasing number of asylum seekers seeking to reach the EU.
The Greek Prime Minister stated that the EU’s recent decisions on migration are positive, but it is not the only possible solution and added that the bloc must work harder to find the most comprehensive solution.
After meeting with Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš in Riga, Mitsotakis said it is very unfair that Greece should take all the responsibility:
“We should be placing the blame squarely on the smugglers and those who facilitate them.
They are the ones who at the end of the day are responsible for whatever tragedy takes place in the Mediterranean.”
Greece is one of the main routes through which asylum seekers from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia continue to Europe.
Mitsotakis is expected to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the NATO summit in Vilnius.
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