9 July 2025 —  As Greece announces a three-month pause on accepting asylum applications from people arriving by sea from North Africa, and plans to immediately detain those reaching Greece via the Mediterranean Sea, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is calling on the Greek government to course-correct, uphold the right to asylum, and shift its focus away from detention.

The current situation in Crete — where hundreds of people have been crammed in unsuitable structures due to a lack of dignified reception services — underscores the urgent need for EU states to uphold the right to asylum, and welcome people seeking protection with respect and dignity.

There is no doubt that more reception capacity is sorely needed, but it must prioritise upholding people’s fundamental rights. While the plans include opening a 'closed' detention centre in Crete, the IRC’s teams in Greece have witnessed firsthand the impact of such de facto prisons — like those on Lesvos and other Greek islands — which have a devastating effect on people’s physical and mental well-being. The model of closed centres should not be used as a blueprint for detention facilities elsewhere, in Europe or beyond.

No one needs a reminder that, ten years since migration first dominated headlines in Europe, the situation in the Mediterranean remains dire. Between 2014 and the end of May 2025, over 32,000 people have died or gone missing while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea towards Europe, with survivors recounting harrowing accounts of their journeys. More efforts to deter people from crossing the Mediterranean will simply push them onto ever more dangerous routes in search of safety.

Martha Roussou, IRC’s Europe Senior Advocacy Adviser, said:

“The Greek government's plans to suspend asylum applications for people arriving by sea from North Africa constitute a clear violation of the right to seek asylum under international and EU law. People fleeing conflict and disaster must be treated with dignity and provided fair and lawful access to asylum procedures — not detained or turned away. Seeking refuge is a human right; preventing people from doing so is both illegal and inhumane.

“We must prioritise compassion over deterrence. Greek authorities need to do everything in their power to assist all people seeking international protection, bring them to safety, and ensure fair and full access to asylum procedure in dignified reception conditions.”

Meron Ameha Knikman, Senior EU Advocacy Advisor, says:  

“This is a clear step in the wrong direction from the Greek authorities. Everyone has the right to seek asylum, regardless of where they are from or how they arrive. Detaining people indefinitely inside de-facto prisons at EU borders is not a sustainable response to migration. Instead, the EU needs to move towards truly workable solutions - these include providing people with access to the asylum system, and encouraging states to stand in solidarity with countries of first arrival like Greece by relocating asylum seekers under the ‘Solidarity Mechanism’. Those who opt out of relocations should ensure their financial contributions are used to help strengthen national asylum, reception and integration systems so that places like Crete have the capacity to welcome new arrivals in a dignified way.  

 "Rather than continuing to focus on deterring people from reaching Europe at all costs, the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum - to be implemented next year - is a chance for the EU to strengthen, not further erode, fundamental rights in line with its legal and moral obligations."

Notes to editors:

According to UNHCR, 4,165 people seeking asylum arrived in Greece in June 2025, up from the 3,205 people in May 2025. From them, 3,514 reached Greece via the islands of Lesvos, Samos, Chios, Crete, Gavdos, Leros, Kos and Rhodes, and 302 via the land borders at Evros.

IRC Hellas is the International Rescue Committee's presence in Greece, working to help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster, to survive, recover and gain control of their future. Operating in Greece since 2015, we provide , up-to-date reliable information, as well as labour market integration services.