The European Union announced on Thursday that it would review the Greek Government's decision to suspend the assessment of asylum applications from migrants arriving by boat from North African countries, a move criticised by the UNHCR and human rights NGOs.
The EU is in close contact with Greek authorities to obtain the necessary information about the proposed measure and its practical implementation, European Commission Spokesperson Markus Lammert said, emphasising that European Union law must always be respected.
However, he also noted that that the Greek decision had to do with a legislative proposal that would only be assessed once passed into law.
On Wednesday, the conservative government of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced plans to initially suspend asylum applications for three months for people arriving by boat from North African countries, especially Libya.
According to Mitsotakis, the amendment, which will be voted on in parliament, aims to curb the increasing number of migrants arriving on the island of Crete from the Libyan coast.
More than 7,000 people have arrived in Crete and on the nearby island of Gavdos since the beginning of the year, up from 4,935 arrivals in 2024.
In recent days, over 2,000 migrants have landed in Crete, causing concern among local authorities and tourism operators.
Lammert described the situation as “exceptional.” He emphasised that the Commission continues to support Greece both operationally and financially and is ready to enhance this support.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has voiced “deep concern” over the proposed measure, noting that sending people back to places where their lives or freedom would be threatened would violate the principle of non-refoulement.
UNHCR stressed that “States cannot deviate from this important principle of international law.”
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) condemned Athens’ decision, calling it a “clear violation of the right to seek asylum under international and European law.”
The Greek anti-racist NGO KEERFA described the measure as “racist” and called for a rally in central Athens on Thursday evening.
