\n<\/p>\n
In an opinion piece published by Politico<\/em> on Tuesday, Mitsotakis pointed to the recent mass arrivals at the Spanish exclave of Ceuta as the latest example. He also cited earlier episodes: the 2020 surge of migrants from Turkey into Greece\u2019s Evros region and the 2021 border crises faced by Lithuania, Poland and Latvia involving Belarus.<\/p>\n Among the measures the Greek prime minister proposed are:<\/p>\n Mitsotakis argued that the recently approved EU Pact on Migration and Asylum is not sufficient. Its tools, he said, are designed \u201cfor situations that remain, at their core, manageable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRecent events at Europe\u2019s borders, most notably in the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, are the latest reminder that migration is no longer just a humanitarian issue or management challenge. In some cases, it has become a tool of geopolitical coercion,\u201d Mitsotakis wrote.<\/p>\n He stressed that in circumstances of extreme and disproportionate pressure\u2014whether at land borders or following mass sea arrivals\u2014the full application of standard asylum and reception systems \u201cis not simply difficult \u2014 it is often impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n Mass arrivals, Mitsotakis warned, erode public trust and put strain on the functioning of the Schengen area.<\/p>\n \u201cIn clearly defined exceptional situations of extreme and disproportionate pressure\u2026 member countries should be given the option, under a dedicated EU emergency regime, to temporarily suspend asylum applications for newly arrived persons while proceeding with the swift return of those not entitled to remain, in full compliance with the EU\u2019s legal obligations,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n \u201cEurope has to be honest about the limits of its fast-track asylum procedures. This is not a departure from Europe\u2019s values but a necessary adaptation to new realities.\u201d<\/p>\nKey proposals from Mitsotakis<\/h3>\n
\n
Impact on Schengen and public trust<\/h3>\n