Prime Minister: It is Unfair for Greece to Bear the Burden of Migration Alone

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated today, Monday, that his country should not have to manage migration on behalf of the European Union or be accused of failing to rescue people at sea. Mitsotakis noted that Greece is located on the external border of the "extremely dangerous" Mediterranean crossing, which is increasingly used by migrants and refugees to enter the European Union. He added, after a meeting with his Latvian counterpart in Riga, that "it is unfair for countries like Greece to bear the burden of managing this issue or to be accused of failing to save people at sea when this is what the coast guard does every day." He emphasized that "the blame should be directed squarely at the traffickers and those who facilitate their work. They are ultimately responsible for any tragedy that occurs in the Mediterranean." Greece is one of the main routes for migrants and refugees from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa leading to the European Union. Mitsotakis is expected to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the sidelines of the NATO summit this week.