Greece closes the door to asylum this summer

17-08-25

The Greek government has decided to temporarily suspend, during the months of July, August, and September, the examination of asylum applications from individuals arriving by sea from North Africa. The resolution was approved by Parliament with 177 votes in favor and 74 against. Announced at the height of the tourist season, and with the island of Crete on the brink of collapse, the measure aims to contain the impact of a migration flow that has reached up to 1,000 arrivals per day. Despite its firmness, the decision has sparked widespread criticism and concern within the international community.

In recent months, the surge in migrants arriving from Libya has overwhelmed reception centers in Crete. According to official data, more than 2,000 new arrivals were recorded in the first half of July alone. In response, Athens has announced the creation of closed facilities on the island and the transfer of hundreds of people to the mainland—including to Piraeus and Lavrio—to ease pressure on local infrastructure.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis defended the move as an urgent response to an emergency situation, stating that “the route to Greece is closed” and warning human trafficking networks that this path is no longer viable. He also informed the European Commission of the measure and revealed contacts with Libya to stop the flow at its source, along with plans to build a new detention facility in Crete.

Migration Minister Thanos Plevris described the phenomenon as an invasion and declared that those entering without authorization would be detained, emphasizing his intention to penalize those who remain in Greek territory after having arrived irregularly. This rhetoric has been described as militarized, with references to an “invasion” or even “hybrid warfare.”

The international response has been swift. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) warned that denying access to asylum constitutes a violation of international law and stressed that protection for those in need cannot be eliminated, even as the need to manage migratory flows is recognized. The Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, stated that the measure could expose people to torture or other serious violations, reminding Greece of its obligation under international conventions to uphold the principle of non-refoulement.

Organizations such as Human Rights Watch have labeled the suspension both illegal and dangerous. In a recent report, they warned that fast, undocumented returns pose serious risks for migrants and violate EU community law. NGOs such as the International Rescue Committee have also condemned the policy as inhumane and urged Greece to guarantee minimum legal safeguards.

Although some critics note that the current wave of arrivals does not compare to the 2015 crisis, when millions reached Greece, the current numbers—over 10,000 so far in 2025 compared to 5,000 in all of 2024—have significantly strained local capacity. The situation has sparked protests from the Cretan population and exposed the inadequacy of temporary accommodations, including makeshift centers in convention halls and emergency vessels.

While the government seeks to close migration routes and impose sanctions, various legal experts argue that such a broad suspension of the right to asylum lacks constitutional backing and violates European legal standards. The European Commission, however, has remained largely silent, having yet to refer Greece to the EU Court of Justice, raising concerns about oversight gaps.

This complex scenario presents a central dilemma: how to balance the protection of Greece’s vital tourism sector—especially during peak summer months, with more than 28 million airline seats expected—with the country’s international obligations on human rights. The legal and political battle now unfolding in Athens could set important precedents for European migration policy and redefine the scope of asylum rights in situations of mass migratory pressure.

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