EU's migration commissioner in Athens for talks on migration pact, returns policy The European Union’s new commissioner for migration and internal affairs, Magnus Brunner, was in Athens on Thursday for policy talks with Greece, which has long been one of the major entry points into the bloc for migrants.
Greece, which is among several EU members seeking tougher immigration controls, has taken a hard line on migration, with the government insisting it implements a “strict but fair” policy that cracks down on illegal migration and smuggling networks.
“We’re happy with the progress that has been made at the European level in terms of a rebalancing of our overall European migration policy towards the protection of the external borders, with significant emphasis on returns, but also by placing a lot of focus on legal pathways to migration.”.
EU lawmakers last year approved a major overhaul of migration laws collectively known as the Pact on Migration and Asylum.
Brunner, an Austrian conservative who took up the post late last year, has previously spoken about a need to bolster EU policy on deportations, a controversial issue within the bloc’s 27 member nations.
