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Joint Statement:
We strongly condemn the Greek government’s new legislative amendment to suspend the processing of asylum applications for people arriving by sea from North Africa
18 July 2025
On the 9th of July, Greece’s new Minister of Migration and Asylum, Thanos Plevris, announced the suspension of the submission and examination of asylum applications for arrivals from the North African route, as well as their deportation without registration. This proposal was approved by a wide majority in the Greek Parliament on the 11th of July 2025. In addition, the government has also committed to arrest and detain all new arrivals pending deportation, and implemented a naval blockade.
We urge the Greek government to:
Lift the suspension of asylum examinations and ensure that all asylum applications are processed fairly.
Desist from using the Evros model as a blueprint for furthering human rights violations.
Resign from using the safe third country policy as a tool to manage migration.
Take appropriate measures to ensure that no one is being held in inhumane detention conditions.
Abandon the construction of deportation centres.
Treat all persons with dignity and respect, and abide by legal provisions to guarantee special protection for vulnerable individuals.
Cede from engaging in systematic pushbacks and endangering the lives of individuals at sea.
We urge the European Commission to:
Take a decisive and unequivocal stand against this plan and hold Greece accountable for this flagrant breach of EU law.
Uphold its responsibilities and act without delay in response to this violation committed by a Member State.
Initiate infringement proceedings against Greece due to its failure to comply with its obligations under European Union law.
Enough is enough. We expect Greek authorities and EU institutions to demonstrate commitment to the rights and values that bind us.
