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Greece will suspend all asylum hearings for migrants arriving by boat from North Africa for three months.
This was stated by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday, July 9, amid a large influx of migrants from Libya.
"The road to Greece is being closed... any migrant who enters illegally will be arrested and detained," Prime Minister Mitsotakis said in parliament, Protothema.gr reports.
The Greek leader said the legislation would be put to a vote in the chamber on Thursday and that Athens was keeping the EU informed on the matter. In addition, the Greek prime minister said that there would also be a reaction from Brussels very soon.
"Let me make some initial comments on immigration and Libya. There will be a reaction from Brussels soon. However, I would like to inform you about some decisions taken by the Greek government," the Greek daily newspaper "Protothema" quotes.
The move came after more than 2,000 migrants landed on Crete, one of Greece's top holiday destinations and the birthplace of Prime Minister Mitsotakis, sparking anger among local authorities and tour operators. Another group of around 520 people were rescued near Crete early on Wednesday and will be redirected to the port of Lavrio in Athens.
Greece had hoped to stem the flows by reaching out to authorities in eastern Libya in Benghazi and the UN-recognized government in Tripoli. But a visit on Tuesday by the EU's migration commissioner and the migration ministers of Greece, Italy and Malta backfired when local officials canceled the visit.
Thus, today Mitsotakis said that the following decisions have been made:
– Suspension of the processing of asylum applications for 3 months for those arriving in Greece from North Africa by boat. All migrants entering the country will be arrested and detained.
– Creation of a permanent closed structure in Crete, stopping those who enter illegally. A second structure could also be created.
– Discussions with Libya, the legitimate government of Western Libya and Eastern Libya continue. The Armed Forces are ready to cooperate with the Libyan authorities to prevent ships from leaving the Libyan coast.
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