Experts highlighted the escalating geopolitical instability, the growing challenges of migration in the EU, and the devastating consequences of conflict in the Middle East, during a panel discussion titled “A New Mediterranean Refugee Crisis Ahead?” at the 20th Annual Economist Cyprus Summit.
Greece’s Deputy Minister for Migration and Asylum Sofia Voultepsi, stressed the multifaceted nature of migration challenges, emphasizing the disproportionate burden on frontline states like Greece.
“Greece faces pressure on all its borders—from the Evros region and the Aegean Sea to the Mediterranean. We have become a ‘laboratory’ for new challenges and threats,” Voultepsi said, noting that while Greece has adapted to managing migration as a daily reality, the lack of solidarity among EU nations remains a crucial issue.
Criticizing some EU member states for closing land borders while blaming southern countries for maritime migration management, Voultepsi said that it was unacceptable for NGOs to be funded by states showing zero solidarity to Greece about direct migrants.
She warned that poorly coordinated migration policies, such as dismantling the Schengen Agreement, could have serious economic consequences.
“A two-year suspension of Schengen would cost €51 billion and reduce the EU’s GDP by 0.14%, equivalent to €230 billion annually,” she said, citing studies.
Voultepsi also expressed concerns about the rise of far-right rhetoric on migration, describing it as a catalyst for increased radicalisation. “Instead of combating organised crime and radicalisation, we risk fostering more hatred and instability,” she concluded.
UNRWA official highlights Gaza’s dire humanitarian crisis
Deputy commissioner-general, programmes and partnerships, UNRWA Natalie Boucly, described the catastrophic situation in Gaza as a “man-made disaster” with severe humanitarian, political, and security implications.
Boucly outlined UNRWA’s foundational mission: providing education, healthcare, and social services to Palestinian refugees across Gaza, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and the West Bank. However, the agency’s role, she warned, is under severe threat due to escalating conflict and legislative actions that could restrict its operations.
“The Gaza crisis is unprecedented: 90% of its population is displaced, 60% of homes are damaged or destroyed, and diseases are spreading amid the collapse of basic services,” Boucly reported. She said that over 43,000 lives, mostly women and children, have been lost, while UNRWA itself has suffered significant setbacks, with two-thirds of its facilities destroyed and 249 staff members killed, the largest loss of UN personnel in any conflict.
Despite that, she said that 13,000 UNRWA’s workers in Gaza continue to provide shelter for over a million displaced individuals and deliver critical medical services. However, Boucly highlighted the scarcity of aid reaching Gaza, with only 37 trucks entering daily compared to 500 before the conflict.
Acting Head of EU in Cyprus calls for collective action
Nikolaos Isaris, Acting head of the European Commission’s Representation in Cyprus, emphasized the need for collective action and preventive measures to address potential refugee crises amidst regional instability.
“European values and the EU’s strategic interests do not stop at EU borders, but extend far beyond. In such a moment of instability in the region, when your neighbour’s house is on fire, you rush to put it out, instead of arguing about who pays the water bill. Not only out of solidarity to your neighbour, but also as an act of self-preservation,” Isaris said.
He praised the progress made under the EU’s New Pact on Migration and Asylum, which aims to simplify procedures and support member states under pressure. However, Isaris stressed the importance of addressing migration’s root causes, such as political instability and economic crises.
Source: CNA/TNE/EPH
