Greece introduced on Friday (11 July) a controversial emergency law, suspending the registration of asylum applications for three months for people arriving by sea from North Africa.
The Greek government defends the new law as a matter of national urgency. Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis cited a 350 percent increase in arrivals, claiming that two-thirds of those entering the country do not qualify for humanitarian protection.
The newly appointed Migration Minister, Thanos Plevris, who assumed office following the OPEKEPE corruption scandal and is known for his far-right stance within the New Democracy party, took an even harder line, describing the situation as a "mass invasion" and declaring: "You are not welcome. Either you leave or you will be imprisoned."
Production: By Europod, in co-production with Sphera Network.
EUobserver is proud to have an editorial partnership with Europod to co-publish the podcast series “Long Story Short” hosted by Evi Kiorri. The podcast is available on all major platforms.
You can find the transcript here:
Greece introduced today, July 11th, a controversial emergency law, suspending the registration of asylum applications for three months for people arriving by sea from North Africa.
Welcome to Long Story Short, Europod’s daily podcast that unpacks what matters most, in just five minutes. I’m Evi Kiorri, here to make Europe’s latest, long story short.
The Greek government argues that this law is a matter of national urgency. Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis pointed to a 350 percent spike in arrivals and claimed two-thirds of them don’t qualify for humanitarian protection. The newly appointed (after the unfolding of the OPEKEPE corruption scandal) Migration Minister Thanos Plevris, who belongs to the far-right wing of the New Democracy party, took it even further, calling the situation a "mass invasion" and telling migrants: "You are not welcome. Either you leave or you will be imprisoned."
The measure allows the suspension of asylum rights based on geographic entry points, specifically, maritime routes from North Africa. And it has already been passed in parliament, despite criticism from nearly every major human rights body in Europe.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Council of Europe, and a long list of legal experts, including Greece’s own former Deputy Prime Minister, have warned the move violates international law, especially the principle of non-refoulement. That’s the rule that prohibits returning people to countries where they may face torture, persecution, or serious harm.
Additional measures announced by Prime Minister Mitsotakis included the arrest and detention of affected individuals, prompting human rights groups to warn that the legislation risks criminalizing the very existence of migrants. And Plevris, the migration minister, even proposed cutting food in reception centers to the “minimum caloric threshold” because meals are apparently “too hotel-like.”
Now most of the people arriving from North Africa aren’t just economic migrants. Many are escaping war, poverty, climate disasters, or authoritarian regimes.
We’re talking about people fleeing Sudan’s conflict, Libya’s chaos, or the growing instability in the Sahel.
Greece is indeed overwhelmed, but what’s really on trial here is Europe’s collective responsibility. Because, with rising arrivals at Europe’s southern frontier, governments are cracking down instead of investing in faster asylum procedures, fair burden-sharing, or reception capacity.
The political cost is of course rising populism. The financial cost is long-term instability.
So what else can we expect on this?
The Greek government says this is temporary and geographically limited. But rights groups argue that once emergency powers are normalised, they rarely go away quietly.
And this isn’t Greece’s first time. A similar suspension was used in 2020 at the Evros land border. Since then, the EU has poured billions into migration control and border management, yet somehow reception centers are still overcrowded, and asylum systems still underfunded.
The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, put it plainly: “The humanitarian situation would be manageable if authorities had addressed the lack of reception capacity in a timely manner.” Instead, we’re watching a shift from mismanagement to punishment.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has reminded Greece, and by extension, all of Europe, that while border control is a sovereign right, it can’t come at the expense of legal obligations. The right to seek asylum is not optional. It’s not suspended when inconvenient. And it certainly can’t be traded for electoral points.
But that’s all for today on Long Story Short, a podcast by Europod in partnership with the Sphera Network. You can also find us on the EUobserver website, go check it out. Thanks for listening. I’m Evi Kiorri, and I’ll be back tomorrow at 12:30 with more insights in just five minutes. See you then!
Evi Kiorri is a Brussels-based journalist, multimedia producer, and podcaster with deep experience in European affairs
Evi Kiorri is a Brussels-based journalist, multimedia producer, and podcaster with deep experience in European affairs