Greece Calls for Respect of Schengen Agreement Amid German Border Controls

Greece’s Migration Minister, Nikos Papadopoulos, has called for the preservation of the spirit of the Schengen Agreement, stressing that Greece is opposed to unilateral actions that undermine the principles of the pact.

Papadopoulos made these remarks following Germany’s decision to introduce controls at all its land borders as part of efforts to curb irregular migration.

“To my German colleague, I emphasised that the spirit of the Schengen Treaties and the European Pact on Migration and Asylum must be respected in order not to be led down roads which would cause unilateral actions and thus put at risk, not only the spirit of Schengen and the European Pact on Migration and Asylum but also the very spirit of the European Union,” Papadopoulos stated.

The minister linked Germany’s decision to impose these controls to the mounting pressure the German government is facing over migration issues.

Greece’s opposition to Germany’s move has also been echoed by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who criticised the introduction of border controls. Mitsotakis warned that such actions would disproportionately affect frontline countries like Greece. “The response cannot be unilaterally scrapping Schengen and dropping the ball to other states that sit on Europe’s external borders,” he said, expressing concerns over the potential burden on nations at the external borders of the EU.

Meanwhile, Greece is responding to Germany’s actions by ramping up its own border security measures, particularly along its northeastern frontier with Türkiye. According to a report from Kathimerini, Greece plans to increase patrols at the Türkiye border by approximately 20%, deploying additional border guards from other regions. Furthermore, the country is moving forward with plans to expand the border fence, with the contract for the section near the central Evros River nearing completion.

Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis has also voiced the need for joint European action on migration, underlining the importance of addressing the root causes of migration and tackling human smuggling networks. Speaking during a meeting with French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne, Gerapetritis said, “We must address the external dimension of migration and coordinate our efforts to combat the smuggling networks that exploit human need and suffering.” He further stressed that the burden of migration should be shared equally among EU member states, in line with the principles of the European Migration and Asylum Pact.

By fLEXI tEAM