by & nbspgavin Blackburn & nbspwith & nbspAP
It’s published
The Greek government said Wednesday it has temporarily suspended asylum applications for migrants arriving at the sea from North Africa following a surge in arrivals from Libya.
Coast Guard figures show that over 2,000 migrants have landed on Crete over the weekend, bringing the total number of arrivals this year to over 10,000.
Speaking to Parliament, Prime Minister Kiriakos Mitotakis said the government is also planning to build detention centres on Crete for immigration, and is seeking direct cooperation between Libya and the Greek coast guard to turn back boats leaving the North African country.
“This emergency clearly calls for emergency measures,” Mitotakis told lawmakers on Wednesday.
“The Greek government has decided to notify the European Commission that it will suspend the processing of its asylum applications for three months for those arriving at sea from North Africa.”
The suspension applies only to migrants reaching Greece at sea.
Mitotakis said immigrants who enter the country illegally will be detained.
“The Greek government has sent a solid message. The route to Greece has been closed and that message is directed at all traffickers,” he said.
Overnight, a fishing trawler carrying 520 immigrants from Libya was intercepted south of Crete.
The bulk carrier, which took all migrants on board, was rerouted to the Port of Lavrio near Athens, so that migrants would be detained at a mainland facility, authorities said.
Greece continues to be an important entry point for those fleeing conflicts and difficulties in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
Arrivals surged last year, with over 60,000 migrants landing in Greece compared to around 48,000 in 2023, according to data from the UN Refugee Agency.
By mid-June 2025, Greece had recorded 16,290 arrivals, of which over 14,600 were at sea.
As Greek authorities are stepping up patrols along the eastern maritime border with Turkey, it appears that traffickers are increasingly choosing longer and more dangerous routes across the Mediterranean from North Africa, using larger boats that can carry more people.
