Greece has temporarily suspended asylum applications for migrants arriving on the island of Crete, following a surge in sea arrivals from Libya.
Over 2,000 migrants have landed on the island since the weekend, pushing the total number of arrivals this year to more than 10,000, according to the coast guard.
“This emergency situation clearly demands emergency measures,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told parliament on Wednesday, July 9.
He announced a three-month suspension of asylum processing for those arriving by sea from North Africa and revealed plans to build a migrant detention facility on Crete.
“The Greek government is sending a firm message: the route to Greece is closing, and that message is directed at all human traffickers,” Mitsotakis said, adding that those entering illegally would be detained.
The move comes amid strained diplomatic relations between the EU and Libya. A high-level EU delegation, including Greece’s migration minister, was recently denied entry into eastern Libya over a protocol dispute.
Overnight, a fishing trawler carrying 520 migrants was intercepted south of Crete. The group was transferred to a bulk carrier and rerouted to Lavrio, near Athens, for processing.
Local authorities on Crete say temporary reception areas are overwhelmed. Makeshift shelters, such as an exhibition centre in Chania, are housing arrivals, many of whom are from Somalia, Egypt, and Morocco.
Sfakia’s mayor Yiannis Zervos described the situation as “unmanageable,” citing limited infrastructure and extreme heat.
Source: AP News.
