Greek Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris traveled to Egypt on Monday for talks aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation on migration.
Plevris is accompanied by Deputy Minister Sevi Voloudaki and Nadia Papakosta, Secretary General for Vulnerable Citizens and Institutional Protection. During the visit, the Greek delegation is scheduled to meet with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Labor Minister Hassan Raddad.
According to Greece’s Migration and Asylum Ministry, the discussions will focus on enhancing cooperation to prevent irregular migration while promoting legal migration channels between the two countries.
The visit comes as Greece reports a 27% decline in irregular sea arrivals during the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, with arrivals falling from 16,985 to 12,496. Despite the overall decrease, the island of Crete remains the country’s main entry point for migrants arriving by sea.
The ministry also said arrivals of Egyptian nationals have dropped by 72%, from 2,800 in the first half of 2025 to 800 during the same period this year. Returns of Egyptian nationals increased nearly fourfold, rising from 59 to 227.
For Pakistani nationals, new arrivals have almost matched the number of returns, with 180 arrivals compared with 169 returns. Government sources attributed the trend to closer cooperation with countries of origin and stricter implementation of return policies.
Overall returns have increased by 20% compared with the first half of 2025. Forced deportations rose by 41%, from 915 to 1,292, while voluntary returns through the International Organization for Migration increased by around 18%, from 740 to 870. Independent voluntary departures stood at 468, compared with 488 during the same period last year.
