The European Commission officially classified Greece as a country under "migratory pressure" for 2027, according to its ...

The European Commission officially classified Greece as a country under "migratory pressure" for 2027, according to its second annual report on asylum and migration management presented today in Brussels. Despite overall irregular crossings across the EU dropping by 23%, Greece continues to bear a disproportionate burden relative to its population and GDP. The most alarming figure in the report is a 105% surge in arrivals to Crete between July 2025 and June 2026, with roughly 21,000 people reaching the island during that period, representing nearly half of all arrivals to Greece. At the same time, irregular crossings at the land border with Turkey rose by 33%, even as overall Eastern Mediterranean arrivals fell. Greece also records the highest number of irregular crossings and international protection applications in the EU when measured against population and GDP, which is the primary reason it remains in the solidarity mechanism category for another year. Commissioner Magnus Brunner acknowledged the strain but praised Greece directly, saying the country is "doing very good work" by using new border procedures effectively and increasing migrant returns. He confirmed Greece will again have access to the European solidarity mechanism in 2027. Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris warned Friday of a potential migration crisis in Crete specifically, pointing to Libya's refusal to cooperate following the approval of the Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum. He said 1,700 people arrived in just the first three days of November after that deal was ratified, calling the spike tied directly to the Turkish-Libyan agreement. Greece, Cyprus, Italy, and Spain are the four member states classified as under migratory pressure heading into 2027. Italy received a notably less favorable assessment than Greece, with the Commission raising concerns over Rome's compliance with responsibility-sharing rules. #Greece #Immigration #Crete