#25 The Rise of Smugglers: Daniel Esdras on Migration, Policy, & Survival in Greece

Get the enhanced episode transcript here 👉🏻 https://www.emmanuel-comte.eu/product/enhanced-transcript-25/.

In this episode, Emmanuel Comte interviews Daniel Esdras—former IOM Chief in Greece and interim Migration Minister—on the dramatic shifts in migration policy, crisis management, and human smuggling. Drawing on over three decades of frontline experience, Esdras discusses the Albanian labor influx, the 2015 refugee crisis, Greece’s economic dependencies on undocumented labor, and the moral complexities of human trafficking. This episode delivers rare insights into EU-Turkey migration policy, IOM operations, and the systemic gaps in global migration governance. Essential listening for anyone exploring European border politics, humanitarian crises, or migration reform.

This interview was arranged by Xenia Saratsioti and edited by Andriana Lagoudes. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No 101034403.