Brussels 09.07.2025 Greece will temporarily suspend the processing of asylum applications for migrants arriving from North Africa by sea, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said to Parliament, referring to a sharp increase in irregular arrivals.
The legislative measure, to be submitted to Parliament tomorrow, will initially pause applications for a period of three months. Mitsotakis described it as a “necessary, temporary response,” based on the same legal framework used during the 2020 migration crisis at the Evros border with Turkey.
“Those who enter the country illegally will be arrested and detained,” Mitsotakis said in his address to lawmakers, adding that the current situation “requires extraordinary measures.”
The government is looking forward to establishing a new closed reception facility on the southern island of Crete to help manage the influx locally, with the option of creating a second center if necessary.
Talks are ongoing with both the internationally recognized government of Libya and the rival administration in eastern Libya, Mitsotakis said. He added that Greece’s armed forces are ready to cooperate with Libyan authorities to prevent migrant boats from departing.
“In coordination with Libyan officials, we are prepared to stop these vessels before they reach international waters, or ensure their return to their point of origin,” he said.
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Greece will stop processing asylum applications for migrants from North Africa pic.twitter.com/uckwHCv0sk
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) July 9, 2025
AFRICA DIPLOMATIC 