Greek lawmakers are preparing to vote on legislation that would temporarily suspend the processing of asylum applications from individuals arriving from North Africa for a period of at least three months. The proposed law has drawn swift condemnation from human rights organisations, who argue it would contravene both European and international legal frameworks.
The vote, expected late Thursday or Friday, comes as the island of Crete faces a sharp increase in migrant arrivals by sea, many of them travelling from eastern Libya. Talks between Athens and the Benghazi-based authorities in Libya, aimed at addressing the surge, collapsed earlier this week in acrimony.
If passed, the law would mark a significant tightening of Greece’s immigration policy. Migration Minister Thanos Plevris, speaking in parliament ahead of the vote, framed the issue in stark terms. “From now on, the road for illegal migrants is go to jail or go back to their country,” he said. “This is not a just normal migrant flow, it is an invasion into Europe.”
The draft law would also grant Greek authorities the power to carry out immediate deportations without prior identification procedures. Critics warn that such provisions risk exposing vulnerable individuals, including asylum seekers and trafficking victims, to wrongful expulsions and unsafe returns.
Greece has long been one of the main entry points into the European Union for migrants and refugees from Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Since the conservative New Democracy party came to power in 2019 under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the government has adopted a more hardline approach. It has expanded border fences in the north, increased maritime patrols in the Aegean, and introduced new administrative hurdles for asylum seekers.
Despite these efforts, sea crossings to southern Greek islands such as Crete and Gavdos have continued to rise this year. These islands, among the closest European territories to North Africa, have become frequent landing points for boats crossing the Libyan Sea.
On Thursday, dozens of migrants, including children, were seen resting on mattresses at a temporary reception centre near Chania, in western Crete. They were among hundreds rescued by the Greek coastguard in recent days.
“We are experiencing what I would call the worst crisis of the past two years,” said Vasilis Katsikandarakis, a senior official in the Crete coastguard. “All the burden has fallen onto the coastguard, who do not have the necessary equipment and personnel to deal with such flows.”
The proposed suspension of asylum processing has triggered alarm among advocacy groups. The International Rescue Committee called it “illegal and inhumane,” noting that the right to seek asylum is protected under international law. “Seeking refuge is a human right; preventing people from doing so is both illegal and inhumane,” the organisation said.
In response, government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis dismissed accusations of illegality. He defended the measure as a necessary deterrent aimed at stemming what the government views as a growing crisis. “It is not a violation of law,” he said, “but a firm message that Greece is not a gateway for uncontrolled migration.”
With the ruling party holding a parliamentary majority, the legislation is widely expected to pass. Its implementation, however, is likely to face legal challenges and further scrutiny from both the European Union and international human rights institutions.
As the humanitarian situation in the Mediterranean grows more complex, Greece’s new approach could set a precedent for other border states wrestling with migration management under increasing political and logistical pressure.
With the ruling party holding a parliamentary majority, the legislation is widely expected to pass. Its implementation, however, is likely to face legal challenges and further scrutiny from both the European Union and international human rights institutions.
As the humanitarian situation in the Mediterranean grows more complex, Greece’s new approach could set a precedent for other border states wrestling with migration management under increasing political and logistical pressure.
