In February 2026, a quadrilateral meeting between Greece, Italy, Spain and Pakistan was held in Rome to address illegal migration and strengthen cooperation on returns. In his statements, the Greek Minister of Immigration and Asylum highlighted that Greece is not opposed to legal migration. However, his message was clear that anyone who chooses the illegal route will not be rewarded. With the new, stricter framework, illegal entry entails administrative detention, while a final rejection of asylum entails prison sentences and high fines.
Cooperation with countries of origin is of key importance for the effective implementation of migration policy. The participating countries agreed to strengthen the exchange of information on smuggling networks, foster closer operational cooperation and promote legal and controlled mobility channels that respond to the real needs of their economies.
On the sidelines of the quadrilateral meeting, a bilateral meeting was held with the Pakistani minister. During the meeting, the Greek minister informed his counterpart that the procedures for the re-evaluation of recognised refugees of Pakistani origin residing in Greece have already begun, as well as the revocation of asylum statuses that were granted in the past, when the legal conditions are met.
This quadrilateral meeting was part of a broader series of contacts with ministers of countries of origin of migratory flows to the first host states of the EU, with the aim of strengthening cooperation at all levels and more effectively addressing illegal immigration and enhancing returns.
More information is available here.
- Ministry of Migration and Asylum | Υπουργείο Μετανάστευσης και Ασύλου (24 February, 2026), Σαφές μήνυμα από τη Ρώμη: Συνεργασία για την αντιμετώπιση της παράνομης μετανάστευσης και την ενίσχυση των επιστροφών [Clear message from Rome: Cooperation to tackle illegal immigration and strengthen returns ],