Greece will not process asylum applications from people arriving by boat in the coming months. Amnesty International and the Greek Ombudsman have called this a “violation of international law.” The Greek government may extend these measures.
Asylum seekers who flee to Greece by boat from North African countries such as Libya will be arrested in the coming months. A majority of the Greek parliament voted in favor of this proposal. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in the Greek parliament that “the road to Greece will be closed. All migrants who enter illegally will be arrested and detained.”
The number of asylum seekers has increased in recent months, especially in Crete and the small island of Gavdos. According to UNHCR figures, nearly 24,000 people have fled to Greece by boat since the beginning of this year (last measured on August 10), of whom more than 10,000 have arrived on these southern islands. Until early 2023, no asylum seekers arrived by boat on Crete and Gavdos. That changed that year when some 800 people fled to Gavdos and Crete. In 2024, the number rose to more than 4,700.
The asylum seekers depart from the port city of Tobruk (in eastern Libya, close to the border with Egypt), which is a route of approximately 200 kilometers by sea. They come not only from countries that Greece considers “safe,” such as Egypt, but also from countries such as Afghanistan, Sudan, and Syria. Crete and Gavdos have hardly any reception facilities. Around sixty people live ‘permanently’ on Gavdos and there is only one police officer, the island's mayor told The Guardian earlier.
Due to the lack of infrastructure, asylum seekers arriving on Gavdos are transferred to Crete as quickly as possible. Crete has an emergency reception center where they must wait for transfer to a regular reception center on the Greek mainland. On July 18, the Greek government announced plans to build transit centers on Crete. In the future, asylum seekers will stay there temporarily, instead of in the emergency shelter, before being transferred to the mainland.
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