Greece to halt migrant asylum processing from North Africa

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis says the suspension volition past for 3 months amid a surge of arrivals from countries including Sudan, Egypt and Bangladesh.

Greece volition suspend the processing of asylum applications from individuals arriving from North Africa for 3 months.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the determination successful parliament connected Wednesday amid an uptick of arrivals – an estimated 2,000 migrants and refugees person landed connected Crete since the weekend, starring to choler among section authorities and tourism operators.

“With authorities that volition beryllium submitted to the parliament tomorrow, Greece volition suspend the introspection of asylum applications, initially for 3 months, for those arriving successful Greece from North Africa by sea,” Mitsotakis told parliament.

“Migrants who participate the state illegally volition beryllium arrested and detained,” Mitsotakis added.

The blimpish person said authorities would beryllium enactment to a ballot successful the enclosure connected Thursday, and that Athens was keeping the European Union informed connected the issue.

Mitsotakis said Greece’s navy and coastguard were consenting to cooperate with Libyan authorities to support migrant boats from leaving the country’s territorial waters, oregon to crook them backmost earlier entering Greek waters.

Sea arrivals of radical departing from northeastern Libya and attempting to scope Europe via Greece’s confederate islands of Crete and Gavdos person exceeded 7,300 truthful acold this year, according to estimates by the Greek authorities and assistance organisations.

In contrast, full arrivals successful 2024 stood astatine astir 5,000.

The crisp summation has strained some islands, which deficiency ceremonial migrant reception centres and person faced difficulties successful securing impermanent accommodation.

The migrants chiefly travel from the Middle East and North Africa, including nationals from Sudan and Egypt, and besides from countries including Bangladesh.

‘Illegal’

In a connection connected societal media, the Greek Council for Refugees demanded that determination beryllium nary suspension of asylum, calling it “illegal” and a usurpation of planetary law.

The radical accused the authorities of utilizing the accrued influx of migrants and refugees arsenic an “excuse”, saying it “only demonstrates Greece’s inability to warrant basal cardinal rights”.

Greece rescued astir 520 radical disconnected Gavdos aboriginal connected Wednesday and was taking them to the mainland, the Greek coastguard said.

The Mediterranean federation was connected the beforehand enactment of the 2015-2016 migration situation erstwhile much than 1 cardinal radical fleeing warfare and poorness successful the Middle East and Africa crossed into Europe.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies