Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Wednesday the suspension of asylum application processing for migrants arriving in Greece by sea from North Africa, declaring that Greece will take strict legal measures to prevent further arrivals.
Speaking before parliament, Mitsotakis warned that the recent surge in migrant arrivals on Crete and the nearby island of Gavdos demanded immediate action.
“Mr. President, allow me, before I enter the main part of my speech, to make some initial comments regarding the migration issue and the recent events concerning Libya,” he said. “These are events that clearly highlight the European dimension of the problem. Soon, there will also be a reaction from Brussels.”
Mitsotakis then announced the key decision, stating, “The Greek government has decided to inform the European Commission that with a legislative provision to be submitted tomorrow to parliament, it is proceeding with the suspension of asylum application examinations for three months for those arriving in Greece from North Africa by sea.”
He explained that this temporary suspension uses the same legal basis that the government applied in March 2020 during a previous migration crisis. “This is a necessary temporary response, based precisely on the same legal reasoning that the Greek government successfully invoked when dealing with the migration invasion of March 2020.”
“Those migrants who enter the country illegally will be arrested and detained,” he said.
He cited a recent rescue operation in international waters south of Crete as an example of the government’s new approach. “Yesterday, in international waters south of Crete, a rescue operation was conducted by a commercial vessel,” he said. “The direction of the Greek government is that the rescued individuals will not disembark in Crete. They will head to Lavrio, and from there they will be transferred to guarded structures of the Ministry of Migration.”
Mitsotakis also announced the creation of at least one permanent closed migrant facility on Crete, with the possibility of a second, saying, “Our second decision concerns the creation, initially, of one and potentially a second permanent closed facility in Crete so that we can address this phenomenon locally, detaining those who enter illegally, whose asylum applications cannot be examined.”
He further stressed that the Greek armed forces are prepared to prevent boats from leaving Libya’s shores.
“The Greek armed forces, the navy, and the Greek coast guard are ready to cooperate with the Libyan authorities to prevent, preferably, the departure of these boats or vessels from the coasts of Libya,” he said. “Or, when this happens, in cooperation where feasible with the Libyan authorities, for these boats to return back to where they started before entering international waters.”
Mitsotakis issued a blunt warning to human traffickers and migrants considering the journey, declaring, “The path to Greece is closing. And it sends this message to all traffickers and all their potential customers, that the money they spend may well be entirely wasted, because it will now be much more difficult than it has been until today to reach Greece by sea.”
“Our response and stance will be legal, but also very strict,” he concluded, making clear that the government would proceed immediately with its plan and would update Parliament with further details once the legislation was submitted.
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