Faced with a sharp rise in irregular sea arrivals from North Africa, particularly from Libya to Crete, we have made the difficult but absolutely necessary decision to temporarily suspend asylum application processing for those arriving by sea from North African countries.
This decision sends a clear and unequivocal message to migrant smuggling networks: Greece is not an open passage. The journey is dangerous, the outcome uncertain, and any money paid to traffickers is ultimately wasted. Illegal crossings will not lead to legal settlement.
Our message is clear: Greece is not an open corridor to Europe. We are ready to work closely with the Libyan authorities to stop departures at the source.
But we also need a united European response.
Greece remains committed to a fair and effective migration policy, including legal pathways to migration, but the current situation demands immediate action. And this is not only a Greek responsibility, it is also European.
