Over the weekend, Greek authorities apprehended over 200 migrants attempting to enter the country illegally after Athens announced it would no longer accept asylum applications from those traveling across the Mediterranean from North Africa.
The Coast Guard has detained 247 migrants in five separate incidents near the islands of Gabdos and Crete, all of whom were trying to reach Greece from Libya.
In light of actions taken by the conservative government under Prime Minister Kiriakos Mitotakis, these individuals will be held in detention centers and eventually removed from Greece instead of being permitted to seek asylum.
Thanos Plevris, the Greek Minister of Immigration and Asylum, stated that the arrested migrants are now being held in detention facilities. He mentioned that cooperation with the Coast Guard and local police is ongoing to transform immigration facilities into closed detention centers for those apprehended.
Plevris emphasized that the policy is straightforward: asylum applications will not be accepted, and those apprehended will face detention and the start of the return process.
This decision comes amid a sharp rise in the number of illegal entries from North Africa, particularly to Crete and Gabdos. In fact, the number of migrants this year has increased nearly fourfold compared to last year.
Earlier in the month, Prime Minister Mitotakis further explained the reasoning behind halting asylum requests. With the surge in irregular arrivals from Libya, he described the temporary suspension of asylum application investigations as a difficult but necessary step. He reiterated that Greece cannot be viewed as Europe’s gateway.
In addition to stopping asylum requests, the Immigration Ministry is also proposing new legislation that would impose sentences of up to three years in prison for illegal immigrants who do not voluntarily leave the country. Reports state that this bill aims to prevent anyone entering illegally, including those seeking asylum, from gaining legal status in Greece.
The tightening of migration controls is part of broader measures by the Mitotakis government, which plans to construct a 41-kilometer (25-mile) wall along the border with Turkey to further restrict illegal crossings from the Middle East.
