In her letter to EU leaders prior to Thursday’s European Council meeting in Brussels, which follows the NATO Summit in The Hague beginning tonight, von der Leyen underscores the manipulation of migration flows by Libya, particularly with an increase in arrivals to Crete in recent months.
In the six-page letter obtained by protothema.gr, von der Leyen sharply critiques the strategic actions of Libya’s Haftar government, which has decided to “open the tap” at Tobruk port. Reports indicate that before the Greek National Security Council (KYSEA) meeting, where this issue was discussed, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis communicated with the Commission President to address the problem.
“We need to ensure strong cooperation and continue offering economic and operational support to Libyan authorities, especially in search and rescue operations. However, given the circumstances and the potential politicization of migration, we must also collaborate with various stakeholders on the ground,” von der Leyen states in her letter. She informs EU leaders that she has requested Commissioner for Migration Magnus Brunner to visit Libya soon to meet with authorities from both Western and Eastern regions. “It is crucial that we work with them to emphasize the need for improved border management, combatting migrant smuggling, managing work visas, facilitating movement towards the EU, and ensuring protection and voluntary returns from Libya to countries of origin,” she adds.
Frigates and the Summit
Von der Leyen’s letter aligns with Mitsotakis’s effort to place this issue on the agenda of EU leaders and to secure a mention in the European Council conclusions. The Prime Minister aims for a unified European stance that will carry weight with Libyan authorities while maintaining open communication channels, particularly with the Benghazi administration, which has recently made unpredictable moves.
Mitsotakis has expressed his intention to raise this topic at the highest levels in Europe and revealed his plan to deploy frigates in international waters off Libya to aid the Coast Guard in handling increased migrant flows. Notably, during the KYSEA meeting on Sunday, which addressed this issue, Navy Chief Dimitris Kataras attended along with Defense Minister Nikos Dendias and Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff Dimitris Choupis.
179% Increase in Flows
The statistics are telling: migrant flows from Libya to Greece have dramatically surged in recent months. Between January 1 and June 5, 5,083 migrants reached Crete, compared to just 1,821 in the same period in 2024—an astonishing 179% increase! Furthermore, in all of 2024, 4,935 migrants arrived in Crete, indicating that more migrants have come in just the first five months of this year than in the entirety of the previous year.
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