Greece will suspend the processing of asylum applications from individuals arriving from North Africa for three months.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the decision in parliament on Wednesday amid an uptick of arrivals – an estimated 2,000 migrants and refugees have landed on Crete since the weekend, leading to anger among local authorities and tourism operators.
“With legislation that will be submitted to the parliament tomorrow, Greece will suspend the examination of asylum applications, initially for three months, for those arriving in Greece from North Africa by sea,” Mitsotakis told parliament.
“Migrants who enter the country illegally will be arrested and detained,” Mitsotakis added.
The conservative leader said legislation would be put to a vote in the chamber on Thursday, and that Athens was keeping the European Union informed on the issue.
Mitsotakis said Greece’s navy and coastguard were willing to cooperate with Libyan authorities to keep migrant boats from leaving the country’s territorial waters, or to turn them back before entering Greek waters.
Sea arrivals of people departing from northeastern Libya and attempting to reach Europe via Greece’s southern islands of Crete and Gavdos have exceeded 7,300 so far this year, according to estimates by the Greek government and aid organisations.
In contrast, total arrivals in 2024 stood at about 5,000.
The sharp increase has strained both islands, which lack formal migrant reception centres and have faced difficulties in securing temporary accommodation.
The migrants mainly come from the Middle East and North Africa, including nationals from Sudan and Egypt, and also from countries including Bangladesh.
‘Illegal’
In a statement on social media, the Greek Council for Refugees demanded that there be no suspension of asylum, calling it “illegal” and a violation of international law.
The group accused the government of using the increased influx of migrants and refugees as an “excuse”, saying it “only demonstrates Greece’s inability to guarantee basic fundamental rights”.
Greece rescued about 520 people off Gavdos early on Wednesday and was taking them to the mainland, the Greek coastguard said.
The Mediterranean nation was on the front line of the 2015-2016 migration crisis when more than one million people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa crossed into Europe.
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