Delphi – ESI at Delphi Economic Forum on migration in Europe

25 April 2026
Delphi. Photo: ESI
Delphi. Photo: ESI

ESI’s Gerald Knaus discussed the future of migration to Europe at the Delphi Economic Forum, in Delphi, Greece. At the event, Gerald participated in a panel titled “A Progressive Migration Policy for Europe”, sponsored by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Athens. Joining him on the panel were Heracles Moskoff, the Secretary General for Vulnerable Persons and Institutional Protection at the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum, and Dimitris Mantzos, Parliamentary Representative & Foreign Affairs Spokesperson of the Greek centre-left opposition PASOK. The event was moderated by Xenia Kounalaki, Foreign Editor at Kathimerini.

Gerald argued that the 2016 EU-Turkey agreement demonstrates how well-designed migration partnerships can be both effective and humane. He noted that the arrangement led to a sharp decline in irregular crossings into Greece and contributed to a dramatic reduction in deaths along the Eastern Mediterranean route, which fell by around ninety percent after the deal’s implementation. Building on this example, he suggested that the European Union should pursue a similar agreement with the United Kingdom. Under such a framework, the EU would readmit migrants who cross the Channel irregularly, while the UK would commit to resettling a defined number of people directly from the EU through organised and legal channels. Such partnerships, he emphasised, benefit migrants themselves by replacing dangerous journeys with safe and predictable routes, reducing reliance on smugglers, and offering access to protection through orderly and dignified procedures.