His MEP PASOK – KINAL, Nikos PapandreouIn a letter to the Eurogroup of the Socialists and Democrats, he calls for the immediate mobilization of the European Parliament to raise the issue of immigration.
The Greek MEP quotes the latest elements of refugee flows from Libya to Crete, noting that “the situation is further worsening from geopolitical dynamics in Libya, where strategic use of migratory flows seems to be tool for political leverage”.
“We must not leave Greece and the Greek authorities in Crete without the necessary support from the European Union,” N. Papandreou said.
In detail the letter of Nikos Papandreou
Dear John, Dear Anna Katarina
I hope my message finds you well.
I am writing to you to draw your attention to a critical and scalable issue in relation to Libya to Europe, which presupposes the emergency active involvement of the European Parliament. Recent developments show an alarming increase in illegal immigration, mainly to Greece and Crete, due to the deliberate “opening of the faucet” by the Libyan authorities controlled by Happere in the port of Tobrouk.
According to the latest statistics, the period between January 1st and June 5th, 5,083 immigrants only arrived in Crete – a frightening 179% increase compared to 1,821 arrivals in 2024. In particular, the total number of arrivals in the first 5 months of this year has a total of 20 years. Serious humanitarian concerns, with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reporting 249 deaths and 226 disappearances in the Mediterranean since January 1, as well as 60 missing in the first week of June.
This situation is exacerbated by geopolitical dynamics in Libya, where strategic use of migratory flows seems to be tool for political pressure. European Commission President Ursula von der Laien has explicitly warned EU leaders about it in its recent letter, emphasizing the need to boost border management and continuing operational support and rescue efforts. We cannot leave Greece and the Greek authorities in Crete without the necessary support from the EU.
Given these developments, I find that it is necessary for the European Parliament to express a clear and unified position on this issue. For this reason, I ask the group of Socialists and Democrats to request a Commission’s statement in plenary regarding the increased migratory flows from Libya to Europe, without resolution. This would allow us to face the overall crisis, reaffirming our support in Greece and seek coordinated EU’s coordinated action to manage migratory flows and simultaneously addressing the deeper causes.
Supporting this request will be invaluable to ensure that the European Parliament fulfills its role in shaping a coherent and effective EU response to this pressing challenge.
Thank you very much for your attention. I remain at your disposal for further information and cooperation.
Appreciated
Nikos Papandreou
S&D DMED Coordinator