Greece will pause all asylum hearings for migrants arriving by boat from North Africa for three months, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced Wednesday, as the country faces a sharp increase in irregular crossings from Libya.
“The road to Greece is closing… any migrants entering illegally will be arrested and detained,” Mitsotakis told parliament. The conservative leader said draft legislation would be put to a vote Thursday, with Athens keeping European Union officials informed of the decision.
The move follows a recent surge in arrivals, including more than 2,000 migrants landing on Crete—Greece’s popular tourist destination and the prime minister’s home island—sparking frustration among local officials and tourism businesses. Early Wednesday, another 520 migrants were rescued near Crete and will be diverted to the port of Lavrio near Athens, according to the coastguard.
Greece had sought to reduce migrant flows by engaging with authorities in eastern Libya’s Benghazi and the UN-backed government in Tripoli. However, efforts suffered a setback Tuesday when local officials abruptly canceled a planned visit by the EU’s migration commissioner and the migration ministers of Greece, Italy, and Malta.
The suspension of asylum procedures marks Greece’s latest attempt to deter irregular migration, as Mediterranean crossings continue to strain reception capacities and fuel political tensions.
