Speaking to private broadcaster Action 24, Plevris said Greece would further tighten its migration framework and rejected what he described as external interference from international institutions, including the United Nations and European bureaucratic bodies, in national migration policy.

He said that repeated concern expressed by organisations such as Amnesty International and UN agencies reinforced his support for the government’s approach, adding that criticism from such bodies strengthened rather than weakened his political position.

The comments come as Greece’s conservative government faces increased migrant arrivals via the Mediterranean route from eastern Libya, prompting closer engagement with Libyan authorities and broader support for stricter European Union migration policies.

Greece is also cooperating with eastern Libyan authorities through coast guard training and economic support programmes, including employment initiatives and investment cooperation aimed at reducing migrant departures across the Mediterranean, according to officials.

The policy shift aligns with wider discussions within the European Union over establishing migrant processing centres outside Europe for individuals whose asylum claims have been rejected, a proposal that has drawn criticism from rights groups.

Greek authorities reported that arrivals and interceptions on the island of Crete increased by more than 20 percent to around 5,500 through May compared with the same period last year, with flows accelerating in early June.

Libya has become a key transit hub for migrants attempting to reach Europe, facilitated by human trafficking networks operating amid prolonged instability across the country’s borders with multiple neighbouring states.

Analysts say eastern Libyan authorities are seeking deeper diplomatic and financial engagement with European governments as migration pressures increase across the central Mediterranean route.