Greek authorities intercepted a fishing trawler south of Crete overnight carrying approximately 520 migrants who had departed from Libya, AP News reported.
A bulk carrier vessel took all those aboard and was subsequently rerouted to the port of Lavrio, near Athens, where the migrants are to be detained within a mainland facility.
The Greek government announced on Wednesday a temporary suspension of asylum applications for migrants reaching the island of Crete by sea. This measure comes in direct response to a sharp increase in migrant landings originating from Libya.
Coastguard statistics reveal that over 2,000 migrants have arrived on Crete since the weekend, pushing the total number of arrivals on the island for this year beyond 10,000.
Addressing the national parliament, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis outlined the government’s response. He confirmed that the suspension of asylum processing applies specifically to those arriving by sea from North Africa and will be in effect for an initial period of three months.
This emergency situation clearly demands emergency measures. The Greek government has decided to inform the European Commission that … it will suspend the processing of asylum applications — for an initial period of three months — for those arriving by sea from North Africa.
The Prime Minister further declared that migrants entering illegally under these circumstances will be detained. Additionally, the government plans to establish a dedicated detention site on Crete to manage the influx.
Mitsotakis also signalled efforts to forge direct operational cooperation between the Greek and Libyan coastguards to intercept and return boats departing the North African nation.
The Greek government is sending a firm message: the route to Greece is closing, and that message is directed at all human traffickers.
