A recent poll shows that Germany’s image in Greece has improved significantly in the last two years. The positive conclusions reflect the significant improvement in relations between Athens and Berlin. The memories of the painful memos and political austerity seem to have been forgotten.
Despite the notable improvement, there are still open questions. When Greek and German diplomats meet – and this happens very often – the issue of immigration is always on the agenda. There are differences of opinion on some issues.
We refer mainly for immigrants whose first country of entry into the EU is Greecebut the vast majority seek to continue their journey to Germany as quickly as possible. Germany attracts them due to its high social benefits, which act as a magnet for them.
According to official data from the German government, 16,500 people applied for asylum in Germany last year, despite having already been granted asylum in Greece. From them, German authorities again granted asylum to 12,000 people. At the same time,Berlin asked Greek authorities to accept, as part of the Dublin process, more than 5,000 migrants. However, Athens only consented in 65 of these cases.
Fezer: We will discuss the return of those who requested asylum in Greece
The German government is not at all happy with this situation. The so-called “secondary migration” is a “serious bilateral issue”, say diplomatic circles in Athens. This is an issue that even concerns the heads of government of both countries in their meetings.
“It’s important discuss with Greece how people who sought asylum there and came to Germany can return to Greece”said German Interior Minister Nancy Fesser after her recent meeting with Greek Immigration Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos in Berlin.
It is unclear whether Athens and Berlin have made any progress on this issue. Both parties prefer to highlight the “very good atmosphere” of the talks. It is obvious that they seek to keep the issue out of internal political debatesavoiding leaving it in the hands of populists. Typical is the statement by the Greek minister, Mr. Panagiotopoulos, that the effects of temporary border controls in Germany should not be “dramatized” prematurely.
This is logical, since there were no radical changes. In essence, the German police simply expanded existing practices that have been in place for a long time. on the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland and France, and on the borders with Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Denmark. Refugees who declare their intention to apply for asylum can still enter the country.
In Germany, the number of asylum applications fell by 22%
There is no indication that refugees whose asylum claims fall under the jurisdiction of other countries under the Dublin process will be returned to their respective countries, according to the Tageszeitung newspaper. The document concludes that the announced measures will have little effect on the number of refugees arriving in Germany.
In truth, From January to August 2024, the number of asylum applications in Germany fell by 22%. On the contrary, the situation on the borders of Greece and Turkey is completely different, as Frontex reported a 39% increase in migration flowss during the first eight months of this year.
This explains why immigration was on the agenda of the Greek-Turkish summit in New York. Reducing irregular immigration to Greece – and by extension to Europe – is impossible without Türkiye’s active cooperation. In this assessment, Athens and Berlin fully agree.
Source: Deutsche Welle