Greece’s three-month asylum ban for migrants from Libya and other North African countries has been condemned by the UN and rights groups.
The move was approved by the Greek Parliament on Friday. Out of a total of 293 Members of Parliament (MPs), 177 voted in favor of the amendment, 74 against and 42 “present.” Socialist PASOK deputies voted “present,” while the 74 against were from leftist parties.
The law would halt asylum registration for three months and allow for the return of new arrivals without assessing their claims. The move came after more than two migrants landed on Crete in recent days, sparking anger among local authorities and tourism operators.
More than 7,000 have arrived on the island and nearby Gavdos since the beginning of the year, compared with 4,935 in 2024.
Further disincentives for migrants to cross the Mediterranean to Greece include a new policy that presumes any migrant who refuses an age-verification medical check to be an adult.
Following an asylum rejection, continued stay will henceforth constitute a criminal offense, leading to a five-year imprisonment sentence without payment, with cooperation in deportation being the sole possibility for release. Minister of Immigration Thanos Plevris noted that, currently, “half of those who come do not receive asylum, and of these, 60 percent are men aged 18 to 30.”
UN and rights groups blast Greece on new policy on migrants
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) warned on Thursday that the legislation risks breaching international law and undermining the country’s longstanding commitment to protecting those fleeing conflict and persecution.
While acknowledging the strain of managing new arrivals, UNHCR said such measures must remain within the boundaries of international and European law.
“States have the right to manage borders and address irregular migration,” the agency said in a statement. “Controlling a State’s borders, however, must be in line with international and European law.”
A fundamental right
The right to seek asylum, UNHCR underscored, is “a fundamental human right enshrined in international, European and national law—and applies to everyone regardless of how or where they arrive in a country.”
“Even at times of migratory pressure,” the statement continued, “States must ensure that people seeking asylum have access to asylum procedures.”
The proposed Greek legislation would deny asylum seekers the ability to lodge applications and instead provide for their return, prompting fears of so-called refoulement—the forced return of individuals to countries where they may face threats to life or freedom.
Human rights groups said the proposed three-month asylum ban would violate international and European law and called on the Greek government to recall it. “Seeking refuge is a human right; preventing people from doing so is both illegal and inhumane,” the International Rescue Committee said in a statement.
Rights groups stress that the countries of origin of arrivals from North Africa include those with some of the highest refugee recognition rates in Greece including Sudan, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, and Palestine. Additionally, among the arrivals are many individuals who are in urgent need of specific protection, such as unaccompanied children and survivors of sexual violence.
Greece, one of the main gateways into the European Union for refugees and migrants from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, has taken an increasingly tough stand on migration since Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ center-right New Democracy came to power in 2019, building a fence at its northern land borders and boosting sea patrols in the east.
Related: Crete Overwhelmed: Migrant Arrivals Surge by 350%, Facilities at Breaking Point
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