The Greek government has warned the current conflict between Israel and Hamas will only accelerate the rate of illegal migration into Europe, a trend that is already led by Palestinians.
The Greek Minister for Migration, Dimitris Keridis, complained to a national broadcaster the ongoing war is bound to add pressure to the entire European continent and will only be exacerbated if domestic affairs in countries such as Lebanon, Egypt, and Libya further deteriorate.
“[A]s if the multitude of flashpoints in northern Africa and Syria were not pushing thousands of migrants and refugees to Europe already, now this,” Keridis argued before adding that illegal migration will not cease even if Israel succeeds in removing Hamas or the leaders of the terrorist organization due to the instability of the region.
Greek authorities have seen illegal migration double in 2023 compared to last year’s figure of 18,780. Palestinians account for around 22 percent of illegal entries into the country, followed by Afghans, Somalis, and Syrians.
As a result, the government demanded the European Union increase its budgets for tackling illegal migration alongside Cyprus, Italy, Malta, and Spain earlier this week.
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