Athens, 14 March 2023

Inter-Parliamentary delegation of Committee on Public Administration, Public Order and Justice meets with Sweden’s State Secretary to the Minister for Migration

An Inter-parliamentary delegation of the Hellenic Parliament Committee on Public Administration, Public Order and Justice, consisting of the Committee Chairman Maximos Charakopoulos, the Committee Secretary Stathis Konstantinidis and Committee members Giorgos Psychogios and Giorgos Kaminis held a meeting with Sweden’s State Secretary to the Minister for Migration Anders Hall at the Hellenic Parliament.

Mr Maximos Charakopoulos emphasised the need for a successful outcome of negotiations over the new Pact  on Migration and Asylum, yet ensuring a balance between responsibility and solidarity. He also referred to the migration issue’s instrumentalisation on the part of Turkey and its pursued twofold purpose; on the one hand, our country’s destabilisation, and on the other, exercising pressure on the EU to gain financial rewards. Mr Stathis Konstantinidis commented on Turkey's allegations regarding human rights violations by our country, as being groundless, unfair and clearly propagandist. In this light, he called for the EU member states to show solidarity towards Greece, as previously exhibited in the case of incoming migration flows from Ukraine. Mr Giorgos Psychogios focused on the need to deal with root causes of migration, in cooperation with third countries, while recalling our country's request for the launch of a permanent relocation mechanism. Lastly, Mr Kaminis expressed his concern over strong migratory pressures expected to face Europe in the coming decades and, therefore,the necessity for an agreement on the relocation process.

Mr Anders Hall, Sweden's State Secretary to the Minister for Migration, highlighted the clear mandate for policy change in the field of migration, -following the recent change of government in his country-, with a focus on the successful integration of migrants within the country and, at European level, on stepping up negotiations on the new Pact on Migration and Asylum. He concluded by stressing the need for the EU to agree on the creation of a credible migration management system, which will be supported by the citizens, so that it will have the chance to succeed.

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