Greece proposes suspending asylum requests in emergencies

Greece proposed on Thursday that the European Union develop an emergency mechanism to temporarily suspend asylum applications during major migration crises. Migration Minister Thanos Plevris stated that such a mechanism is needed to handle situations like the arrival of tens of thousands of people in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in July.

Plevris, arriving at a meeting of EU Justice and Home Affairs ministers in Luxembourg, said that enhanced border surveillance and suspension of asylum should be implemented in such cases. He noted that while an EU migration pact has helped curb arrivals and increase migrant returns, the measures are not sufficient for emergencies.

Greece has previously taken measures, including stopping the processing of asylum applications from migrants arriving by sea from North Africa for a few months last year and passing legislation to fast-track deportations. Greece, along with Germany, Austria, Denmark, and the Netherlands, also agreed on concrete steps towards establishing return hubs in a non-EU country as part of broader European efforts to curb irregular migration.