Greece and Turkey: cooperation or rivalry in the migration sphere?

In recent years, one of the most significant problems facing the European Union has been the problem of illegal migration, the origins of which can be found in the events of 2011 in the Middle East. The peak of the EU migration crisis was in 2015. However, by the beginning of 2020, experts were talking about stabilizing the migration situation in the European Union and overcoming the migration crisis, although many issues related to obtaining refugee or asylum-seeker status, placement in special camps, etc., are still to be settled. Meanwhile, in February and March 2020, events escalated in Syrian Idlib, where Turkey was one of the most active participants. Wishing to put pressure on the European Union, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan decided to open the state borders to Syrian refugees for their unhindered entry first into Greece and then into the EU. The European Union has real concerns about a repeat of the migration crisis, which could be much more serious than the first. Significantly complicating the current situation is the fact that new illegal immigrants may include both former terrorist operatives and individuals infected with coronavirus, which will exacerbate the uneasy criminal and epidemiological situations in Europe. Greece once again found itself having to deal with numerous illegal immigrants and, unable to handle the situation alone, requested EU assistance. Brussels provided additional material and financial support to the Greeks. The national Hellenic government has also taken certain independent measures to resolve the situation. This chapter analyses recent Greek-Turkish relations in the migration sphere and pays special attention to the current situation on the border with Turkey in 2020.