Greek officials say tougher migration measures have cut sea arrivals, but the asylum freeze on Crete has drawn human rights criticism and strained ties with local authorities.
In early July, Greece suspended the processing of asylum applications for people arriving by sea from North Africa, arguing the move was necessary to deter dangerous crossings.
During the first week of July alone, 2,642 people arrived -- peaking at 700 per day -- before the new measures were introduced. By contrast, July ended with around just 900 arrivals in the weeks that followed, and August saw fewer than 400. Officials say that without the new rules, between 6,000 and 7,000 people would have entered by now, Greek newspaper Ekathimerini reported.
Migration Minister Thanos Plevris told lawmakers that up to 1,000 migrants a day were arriving before the policy change, describing the situation as resembling an "invasion."
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Crete as a new hotspot
The island of Crete has emerged as a main landing point for boats departing from eastern Libya, often carrying dozens of passengers in larger vessels than those typically used from Turkey.
According to UNHCR, more than 10,900 migrants have landed on Crete since January, even as total arrivals to Greece remain far below the numbers seen during the 2015 refugee crisis, when over 800,000 people entered in a single year. Since the start of 2025, fewer than 28,000 migrants have arrived irregularly nationwide.
Many of those reaching Crete are Sudanese refugees fleeing the civil war that erupted in 2023. In the first half of 2025, 27 percent of arrivals were Sudanese, 47 percent Egyptian, and 19 percent Bangladeshi, according to UNHCR data.
Over the past week, more than 220 people were intercepted off Crete in separate incidents, with two boats stopped on Monday carrying 58 and 68 people. Temporary shelters -- including one in the village of Agia Pelagia, near Chania -- are hosting the new arrivals.
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Government vs. human rights bodies
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis defended the asylum freeze as “difficult but absolutely necessary,” arguing that “the journey is dangerous, the outcome uncertain, and the money paid to smugglers is ultimately wasted. Illegal entries will not lead to legal residence.”
But the measures have provoked strong reactions. The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) expressed “serious concern,” stressing that border control “must be in line with international and European law.”
Returning people without registering their claims, UNHCR said, would breach the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits sending people back to places where their lives or freedoms are at risk. While international law allows for the return of people whose claims are rejected after proper examination, UNHCR stressed that asylum seekers entering irregularly should not be punished if they present themselves promptly to the authorities.
Michael O’Flaherty, the Council of Europe’s Human Rights Commissioner, said the suspension would legalize “returning people to face a risk of torture and other serious violations,” adding that the rise in arrivals “would have been manageable if authorities had addressed the lack of reception capacity in a timely manner.”
The Greek parliament passed the measure by 177-74 votes, with left-wing parties unsuccessfully challenging it as unconstitutional.
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Next steps: detention and deportation
The government is preparing draft legislation, expected after the summer recess, that would mandate imprisonment for migrants whose asylum claims are denied and require ankle monitors during a 30-day compliance period before deportation. Athens also faces resistance from regional authorities on Crete over plans to build a permanent transit facility on the island.
With Greek patrols tightening in the eastern Aegean, traffickers appear to be shifting to the longer, more dangerous route from Libya to Crete. Boats often carry over 100 people, making the crossings riskier.
Despite the current decline, Greece remains a key entry point to the EU. By mid-June 2025, the country had already recorded 16,290 arrivals -- more than 14,600 by sea -- compared to 60,000 arrivals in all of 2024.
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