Greece Suspends Asylum Applications From North Africa

Greece’s parliament voted over the weekend to temporarily suspend the processing of asylum applications from migrants arriving by sea from North Africa, prompting condemnation from human rights groups and opposition lawmakers who say the move violates international law, Reuters reported.
On Friday, lawmakers approved the new measure, which will halt asylum processing for at least three months and allow authorities to detain and repatriate migrants without reviewing their asylum claims.
Government officials said the European Union-member country would not accept new arrivals, while also warning that traffickers and migrants attempting to reach Greece would likely fail.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis described it as a “difficult but absolutely necessary decision” to protect Greece’s borders. He added that the policy echoes a similar legal justification used to block land border crossings from Turkey in 2020, the BBC wrote.
Officials said the move comes in response to a sharp rise in arrivals on the southern islands of Crete and Gavdos: More than 9,000 migrants have landed in Crete this year – an increase of 350 percent over the same period in 2024 – placing heavy strain on local infrastructure.
The decision also follows recent EU-backed efforts to curb crossings from Libya.
However, a planned visit by Greek, Italian, and Maltese officials to Libya this week was blocked by the eastern-based Government of National Stability, which accused the delegation of violating the country’s sovereignty.
Meanwhile, human rights groups condemned the suspension as “both illegal and inhumane,” warning that denying access to asylum procedures is a breach of human rights law.
They also criticized the EU’s attempts to forge deals with Libyan authorities to reduce the flow of migrants to the bloc.
Advocates cautioned that refugees and migrants intercepted by the Libyan coastguard are often imprisoned in detention camps, where they are subjected to inhumane treatment.

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