Greece confronts Germany over border control changes, warns on Schengen
On Friday, the Greek portal Proto Thema reported that the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, is in contact with the authorities of Austria, Poland, and Italy regarding the German government's decision to reintroduce border controls. The portal reported that a change in migration policy could lead to the destruction of the Schengen Agreement.
Sources in Athens are furious, stating that Greece would not allow Germany to export its internal crisis. "Germany’s sudden shift to a "hardline" approach on migration, after years of lenient rules, attractive social benefits, and a culture of tolerance, has sounded alarms in several European countries, including Greece," the portal noted.
There is growing concern about a potential unilateral change in migration policy that could destroy the Schengen Agreement.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Mitsotakis stated that abolishing the Schengen zone rules unilaterally could not solve the migration issue. The head of the government made it clear to Germany that Greece would not bear the consequences of a possible domino effect.
Behind the scenes, talks are ongoing between Athens and the capitals of countries directly affected by Berlin's decision of "automatic deportations," wrote the Proto Thema service. Mitsotakis maintains open communication channels with Austria, a close ally of the European People's Party, Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and Italy.
Athens has concerns
Athens is closely observing developments and fears that Germany's next step could be introducing checks on people arriving from the countries of first arrival. However, it is not yet at that stage and is unlikely, emphasized the source.
The Greek government is increasingly aware that Germany is in an internal deadlock. The service wrote that any attempt to export these problems will not be accepted.
