Greek Parliament moves toward North Africa asylum freeze amid controversy

Edited by: Reda El Ghazal

Lawmakers in Greece are preparing to approve new measures that would halt the review of asylum requests from individuals arriving from North Africa for a period of at least three months. The initiative, expected to pass due to the parliamentary majority, has sparked intense criticism from human rights advocates who argue that the proposal violates both European and international legal standards. This legislative push follows an uptick in migrant arrivals on the island of Crete, coinciding with the breakdown of diplomatic talks with the eastern Libyan authorities over efforts to curb migration across the Mediterranean.

At the heart of the proposed law are provisions enabling authorities to swiftly deport migrants without prior identification procedures, reflecting an increasingly strict approach to border control since the current government came to power. Migration officials have underscored the severe strain on rescue services, especially as dozens of recent arrivals—many of them children—have been accommodated in temporary shelters following rescue operations at sea. The Greek Migration Minister has defended the initiative as essential to deterring irregular migration, while government spokespersons deny that the plan contravenes legal obligations.

Nevertheless, humanitarian organizations insist that the temporary suspension of asylum procedures runs counter to basic human rights, calling on Athens to reconsider the move. As European leaders, including the Greek Prime Minister and top EU officials, meet in Rome to discuss coordinated responses to the evolving migration challenge, attention remains focused on the broader implications of this policy shift, especially as Mediterranean crossings from North Africa continue to rise.