A leading humanitarian group criticised Greece on Thursday after its government announced it would pause for three months all asylum hearings for people arriving in boats from North Africa, to deter a migration surge from Libya.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday told parliament Greece would adopt legislation Thursday to discourage asylum seekers from sailing out of North Africa.

The move came after more than 2,000 migrants landed on Crete in recent days, sparking anger among local authorities and tourism operators.

More than 7,000 have arrived on the island and nearby Gavdos since the start of the year, compared with 4,935 in 2024.

Martha Roussou, Europe senior advocacy adviser at the International Rescue Committee (IRC), said the plans “constitute a clear violation of the right to seek asylum under international and EU law”.

“People fleeing conflict and disaster must be treated with dignity and provided fair and lawful access to asylum procedures – not detained or turned away. Seeking refuge is a human right; preventing people from doing so is both illegal and inhumane,” she said.

Noting an “exceptional” situation, European Commission migration spokesperson Markus Lammert said: “We are in close contact with the Greek authorities to obtain necessary information on these measures” regarding their application.

Lammert added the EU was continuing to support Greece financially and operationally and was ready to increase assistance and intensify cooperation but he stressed that “EU law must always be respected.”

UNHCR: ‘serious concern’

The UN refugee agency UNHCR expressed “serious concern” at Greece’s move.

“Controlling a State’s borders… must be in line with international and European law. Greece has a long-standing tradition of offering protection to people fleeing war and persecution. That tradition must be upheld,” the body said.

“The right to seek asylum is a fundamental human right, enshrined in international, European and national law, and applies to everyone regardless of how or where they arrive in a country. Even at times of migratory pressure, states must ensure that people seeking asylum have access to asylum procedures.

“Returning people to a place where they would face threats to their life or freedom would breach the principle of non-refoulement. States cannot deviate from this important principle of international law.”

 ‘Road to Greece is closing’

Announcing the measures, Mitsotakis said: “The road to Greece is closing… any migrants entering illegally will be arrested and detained.”

Crete is one of Greece’s top travel destinations, and Mitsotakis’s home island.

Migrants entering illegally could be held for up to 18 months, Migration Minister Thanos Plevris said.

“Greece cannot have boats totalling 1,000 people a day,” Plevris told Skai TV, saying Greece will hold a “draconian revision” of how it deals with migrants.

“The Greek ministry for migration is not a hotel – nobody can enter illegally, ask for asylum and receive benefits, three meals a day and shelter – all that at the expense of Greek and European taxpayers,” said Plevris, formerly with the far-right party Laos but now a member of Mitsotakis’s New Democracy.

Greece took similar steps in 2020 during a migration surge at its land border with Turkey, which Athens accused Ankara of facilitating.

To manage the influx, the government could reopen camps built on the mainland after the 2015 migration crisis, government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said this week.

Mitsotakis told parliament a camp and possibly two would also be built on Crete.

Source: AFP