Following the 2015-2016 refugee “crisis” and the unprecedented challenges it posed to the country, Greece has been recently portraying its migration management as particularly effective. According to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and successive Ministers of Migration and Asylum, the country’s "tough but fair" immigration policy has succeeded in strengthening border controls and curbing irregular migration.
The Three Pillars of the 'Success' Narrative
The Greek government attributes the “success” of its migration management strategy to three key elements: First and foremost, it highlights the sharp reduction in the absolute number of migrants and refugees entering the country. During 2015-2016, more than a million individuals crossed the Aegean Sea and transited through Greece, a movement that was largely halted not least due to the EU-Turkey Statement signed in March 2016. While immigrant and refugee flows have not entirely stopped since then, they have, nevertheless, significantly decreased in volume.
A second development cited by the Greek government to indicate the success of its migration and refugee policy is the decreased number of refugees and asylum seekers remaining in the country and its reception facilities. The success narrative highlights that several reception facilities have now been closed on the mainland, since they were no longer needed to accommodate refugees and asylum seekers. This reduction in absolute numbers is also evident in the reception facilities on the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, facilities that were previously characterized by severe overcrowding and deplorable living conditions that failed to meet basic humanitarian standards.
A third key element stressed by Greece's government has been its firm response when Türkiye orchestrated a migration crisis in 2020. In a calculated move to exert political pressure on the EU and Greece, Turkish authorities actively transported migrants and refugees to its border with Greece in the Evros region, encouraged them to attempt border crossings, and then, with President Erdoğan's declaration 'We have opened the gates,' facilitated their movement toward Greek territory. In response, the Greek government sent the military to the border and asked the European Border and Cost Guard Agency (Frontex) for support to prevent mass crossings into Greek territory, while the EU unambiguously demonstrated its support for Greece through both symbolic gestures (such as statements explicitly supporting Greece’s measures to protect the EU’s external borders) and tangible measures (such as financial assistance).
The government's narrative of successfully managing the migration and refugee challenges has helped ease public concerns about this issue. While in 2015-2016 the Greek public generally viewed refugees in a positive light and actively demonstrated solidarity, these attitudes gradually worsened as it became evident that many refugees would remain in the country long-term when borders along the so-called Balkan route were closed, leading to decreasing possibilities to continue migration journeys to other European countries. Consequently, up until 2019, migration was considered a key issue of concern for Greeks, ranking equal in importance – if not higher – than the economic crisis. Recent survey findings, though, suggest that the issue has become far less pressing for the Greek public.
Cracks in the Foundation
However, a closer examination reveals nuances that undermine this narrative of success. The reduction in the numbers of people entering and remaining in Greece has been achieved, in part, through "pushback" practices that violate international obligations to protect the human rights of migrants and asylum seekers. Although officially denied, evidence suggests the active involvement of Greek state agencies in these practices and their systematic implementation as de facto general policy, as the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, Felipe González Morales, and the European Court of Human Rights stated. The tragic shipwreck near Pylos on June 14, 2023, which claimed more than 600 lives, has raised serious questions about the official sanctioning of these practices: A ship of the Greek coast guard was alongside the fishing vessel when it capsized and sank. Investigations suggest that an attempt to tow the vessel out of the Greek search and rescue zone may have contributed to its wreck.
A second aspect that reveals the cracks in the narrative of successful migration management, is the criminalization of humanitarian assistance to migrants and refugees in Greece which has intensified in recent years, reflecting a broader European trend. This criminalization manifests at two levels. First, there has been a rise in legal actions against NGOs, human rights defenders, and reporters, prosecuted on charges such as facilitating illegal entry and stay, smuggling, espionage, and interfering with police investigations. Second, structural barriers have been put in place that hinder NGOs' ability to assist refugees and operate within the country.
Finally, media coverage of refugee issues in Greece has shifted over the past years, reshaping public perceptions of migration. The focus has primarily been on border controls, surveillance, and restrictive measures, rather than on humanitarian concerns. The narrative is largely shaped by official sources, with refugees, asylum seekers, and other non-governmental voices remaining underrepresented. Journalists who disagree with the government's narrative and stance on migration are given limited access to refugee facilities, and their requests for information and data from authorities often remain unanswered.
Conclusion
Looking at the EU’s New Pact on Migration and Asylum which prioritizes border management and returns over humanitarian protection and integration measures, clear similarities with the Greek government’s approach become evident. However, the contradiction between proclaimed success and troubling practices should actually make Greece a cautionary example for EU migration policy: Prioritizing border controls over human rights protection may satisfy immediate political demands, but it undermines the values upon which the European asylum system is built.