Trump Reposts Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris Interview
US President Donald Trump has reposted on Truth Social an interview with Greek Minister of Migration and Asylum Thanos Plevris, who praised the tougher approach to irregular migration adopted in the United States and Europe.
In his interview with Breitbart, Plevris, who describes himself as a “Trump admirer,” argues that Trump’s return to the White House has contributed to a significant shift in the political climate surrounding irregular migration on both sides of the Atlantic.
Plevris says countries including Germany, France, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden have moved toward stricter migration policies as public pressure for stronger border controls has increased.
He argues that the change in US policy has also created a more favorable political environment for European governments seeking to adopt tougher measures against irregular migration.
Plevris says Greece has followed a similar trajectory, pointing to opinion polls that, according to him, show significant public support for the government’s migration policy, with some voters calling for even stricter measures.
“The message from our citizens is clear: enough,” Plevris said.
He describes the Mitsotakis government’s approach as “strict but fair,” with a focus on reducing irregular arrivals and increasing returns.
Greece reports sharp fall in irregular arrivals
Plevris also points to what he describes as the results of Greece’s recent migration legislation and stricter enforcement measures.
Regarding the migration route from Libya via Egypt, he says Greece recorded 3,200 irregular arrivals and only 69 returns during the first half of 2025.
During the same period in 2026, arrivals fell to 802, while returns increased to 330, according to figures cited by the minister.
Plevris says overall migration flows to Greece have fallen by approximately 70% in one year, while returns have increased.
He attributes the decline to several measures, including the detention of people who do not qualify for refugee status, tougher treatment of people who remain in Greece illegally after their asylum applications have been rejected, and an expansion of voluntary returns.
Evros fence described as a “key tool”
Plevris also highlights the Evros border fence as a key measure for limiting irregular crossings along Greece’s land border with Turkey.
Referring to the 2020 border crisis, when thousands of people attempted to cross into Greece from Turkey, he argues that the fence, combined with the deployment of security forces, played a decisive role in managing the situation.
The minister also stresses that Greece’s national borders form part of the European Union’s external borders, making the country’s migration policy an issue for the wider bloc.
Greece and US expand asylum cooperation
Plevris says Greece and the United States are also cooperating on asylum policy, including the exchange of practices and expertise.
He notes that Greece began moving toward a stricter migration policy in 2019, when Kyriakos Mitsotakis and New Democracy came to power.
Plevris contrasts the current situation with 2015, when he says approximately one million people passed through Greece during the height of the refugee and migration crisis.
Trump’s decision to repost the interview puts the Greek government’s migration policy directly before his large Truth Social audience, while highlighting the growing political alignment between the US administration’s tougher stance on irregular migration and similar policies being pursued by several European governments.