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Greece passes North Africa asylum ban amid rights groups' opposition
GREECE, JUL 11 – Greece's law suspends asylum claims from North African sea arrivals for three months amid a surge of over 7,000 migrants on Crete this year, drawing international human rights criticism.
- This past week, MPs in Athens passed a law barring migrants arriving from North Africa from applying for asylum, halting claims for three months and authorising detention and return.
- Sharp increase in arrivals prompted the amendment, after interior ministers’ delegation was rejected by eastern Libya’s authorities and Greece announced the suspension the next day.
- Amid widespread criticism, rights groups, including the International Rescue Committee, said the amendment `constitutes a clear violation of the right to seek asylum under international and EU law`, while Amnesty warned it could lead to arbitrary detention.
- Euronews reports the law received 177 votes to 74, and irregular arrivals will be imprisoned and deported without access to asylum.
- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees expressed `deep concern`, while human rights groups urged infringement procedures to safeguard the EU asylum system.
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50 Articles
The Greek government imposes an asylum freeze and strengthens cooperation with Libya. Human rights organizations and the ombudsman condemn the move. The EU and member states hold back on criticism.
As more and more refugee boats arrive on Greece's largest island, Athens partially suspends the right of asylum and strives to ward off Libyan claims to subsea natural gas.
Human rights groups denounce Greece law for alleged violation of international law
Human rights organizations in Greece condemned a new law for its alleged violation of international and EU legal protections for asylum-seekers in a joint release on Wednesday, which bans individuals who arrive in the country from North Africa from applying for asylum and mandates the deportation of all individuals to the state from which they came without registration. The right to seek and apply for asylum is protected by Article 14 of the UN …
Every day 100 migrants are transported by ferry to Athens. They have no chance of receiving asylum in Greece.
Greece relies on maximum deterrence against boat refugees. The country cancels asylum rights and tightens detention conditions - with consequences for Germany.
Greece wants to deter refugees coming from Libya by means of hard measures. The new route through the Mediterranean is mainly affecting the island of Crete. However, it is not a crisis as it was ten years ago.
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