Greece passes North Africa asylum ban amid rights groups' opposition
FILE PHOTO: Newly-arrived migrants are sheltered in a municipal hall, in the town of Agyia, on the island of Crete, Greece, July 10, 2025. REUTERS/Nicolas Economou/File Photo
ATHENS - Greek lawmakers voted on Friday to temporarily stop processing asylum requests from migrants arriving from North Africa by sea in a bid to reduce arrivals into Europe's southernmost tip, a move rights groups and opposition parties have called illegal.
The ban comes amid a surge in migrants reaching the island of Crete and after talks with Libya's Benghazi-based government to stem the flow were cancelled acrimoniously this week.
It marks a further hardening of Greece's stance towards migrants under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' centre-right government, which has built a fence at its northern land borders and boosted sea patrols since it came to power in 2019.
Human rights groups accuse Greece of forcefully turning back asylum-seekers on its sea and land borders. This year, the European Union border agency said it was reviewing 12 cases of potential human rights violations by Greece.
The government denies wrongdoing.
The law, which received 177 votes in favour and 74 against, halts asylum processing for at least three months and allows authorities to quickly repatriate migrants without any prior identification process.
"Faced with the sharp increase in irregular arrivals by sea from North Africa, particularly from Libya to Crete, we have taken the difficult but absolutely necessary decision to temporarily suspend the examination of asylum applications," Mitsotakis was quoted by his office as telling the German newspaper Bild on Friday.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore ST will have Govt's 'full confidence and support' in its mission to stay relevant: PM Wong
Singapore ST will aim to become an indispensable partner to S'pore's communities: Editor Jaime Ho
Singapore Heartbeats & Headlines: ST's 180-year legacy comes to life in immersive exhibition
Singapore Trusted news, smarter experience with new Straits Times website and app
Singapore Man who killed 5-year-old daughter gets life sentence after he appeals against 35-year jail term
Singapore Judge declines to void alleged sham marriage in S'pore, says it is for Parliament to decide
Business OCBC CEO Helen Wong to retire on Dec 31; Tan Teck Long named successor
Singapore More than 14,300 people checked during 7-week-long anti-crime ops
"Greece is not a gateway to Europe open to everyone."
Greece was on the front line of a migration crisis in 2015-16 when hundreds of thousands of migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa passed through its islands and mainland.
Since then, flows have dropped off dramatically. While there has been a rise in arrivals to the outlying islands of Crete and Gavdos - those numbers have quadrupled to over 7,000 so far this year - sea arrivals to Greece as a whole dropped by 5.5% to 17,000 in the first half of this year, U.N. data show.
Rights groups and opposition parties said the ban approved by parliament violates human rights.
"Seeking refuge is a human right; preventing people from doing so is both illegal and inhumane," said Martha Roussou, a senior advocacy adviser for aid group IRC.
Thousands of irregular migrants have been rescued by the Greek coastguard off Crete in recent days, the Athens government said. Hundreds of them, including children, were temporarily housed at an exhibition centre in Agyia, near the city of Chania in western Crete, amid sweltering summer temperatures.
Reuters footage on Friday showed a migrant who had fainted being taken out of the shelter on a stretcher.
Crete lacks an organised reception facility. The government said it would build a migrant camp there but the local tourist industry is worried the plan could harm the island's image.
'The weight is too great, the load is too big, and solutions now have to be found ... at a central level,' said George Tsapakos, a deputy governor for Crete. REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AsiaOne
2 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Trump threatens 'severe consequences' if Putin blocks Ukraine peace, World News
WASHINGTON/BERLIN — US President Donald Trump threatened "severe consequences" if Russia's Vladimir Putin does not agree to peace in Ukraine but also said on Wednesday (Aug 13) that a meeting between them could swiftly be followed by a second that would include the leader of Ukraine. Trump did not specify what the consequences could be, but he has warned of economic sanctions if his meeting with Putin in Alaska on Friday proves fruitless. The comments by Trump and the outcome of a virtual conference with Trump, European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy held on Wednesday could provide encouragement for Kyiv after fears the Alaska summit could end up selling out Ukraine by carving up its territory. However, Russia is likely to resist Ukraine and Europe's demands strongly and previously has said its stance had not changed since it was first detailed by Putin in June 2024. When asked if Russia would face any consequences if Putin does not agree to stop the war after Friday's meeting, Trump responded: "Yes, they will." Asked if those consequences would be sanctions or tariffs, Trump told reporters: "I don't have to say. There will be very severe consequences." But the president also described the aim of the meeting between the two leaders in Alaska as "setting the table" for a quick follow-up that would include Zelenskiy. "If the first one goes okay, we'll have a quick second one," Trump said. "I would like to do it almost immediately, and we'll have a quick second meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskiy and myself, if they'd like to have me there." Trump did not provide a time frame for a second meeting. Red lines European leaders and Zelenskiy had earlier spoken with Trump in a last-ditch call hosted by Germany to lay out red lines ahead of the Alaska meeting. "We had a very good call. He was on the call. President Zelenskiy was on the call. I would rate it a 10, very friendly," Trump said. French President Emmanuel Macron said Trump agreed Ukraine must be involved in any discussions about ceding land, while Zelenskiy said Trump had supported the idea of security guarantees in a post-war settlement. "President Trump was very clear that the United States wanted to achieve a ceasefire at this meeting in Alaska," Macron said. "The second point on which things were very clear, as expressed by President Trump, is that territories belonging to Ukraine cannot be negotiated and will only be negotiated by the Ukrainian president." German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who hosted the virtual meeting, said the principle that borders could not be changed by force must continue to apply. "If there is no movement on the Russian side in Alaska, then the United States and we Europeans should ... increase the pressure," he said. "President Trump knows this position. He shares it very extensively and therefore I can say: We have had a really exceptionally constructive and good conversation with each other." Trump and Putin are due to discuss how to end the three-and-a-half-year-old conflict, the largest in Europe since World War Two. Trump has previously said both sides will have to swap land to end fighting that has cost tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions. Russia makes sharp advance into Ukraine On a day of intense diplomacy, Zelenskiy flew to Berlin for the virtual conferences with European leaders and then with Trump. He and the Europeans worry that a land swap could leave Russia with almost a fifth of Ukraine, rewarding it for nearly 11 years of efforts to seize Ukrainian land, the last three in all-out war, and embolden Putin to expand further west. Russian forces have made a sharp thrust into eastern Ukraine in recent days in what may be an attempt to increase the pressure on Kyiv to give up territory. "I told the US president and all our European colleagues that Putin is bluffing (about his stated wish to end the war)," Zelenskiy said. "He is trying to apply pressure before the meeting in Alaska along all parts of the Ukrainian front. Russia is trying to show that it can occupy all of Ukraine." A source familiar with the matter said the call with Trump discussed possible cities that could host a three-way meeting, depending on the outcome of the talks in Alaska. Wary of angering Trump, European leaders have repeatedly said they welcome his efforts, while stressing that there should be no deal without Ukraine's participation. Trump's agreement last week to the summit was an abrupt shift after weeks of voicing frustration with Putin for resisting the US peace initiative. Trump said his envoy, Steve Witkoff, had made "great progress" at talks in Moscow. A Gallup poll released last week found that 69 per cent of Ukrainians favour a negotiated end to the war as soon as possible. But polls also indicate Ukrainians do not want peace at any cost if that means significant concessions. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Alexei Fadeev earlier said Moscow's stance had not changed since last year. As conditions for a ceasefire and the start of talks, Putin had demanded Ukraine withdraw its forces from four regions that Russia has claimed as its own but does not fully control, and formally renounce plans to join Nato. Kyiv swiftly rejected the conditions as tantamount to surrender. [[nid:721315]]
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
China sees backlash from companies, workers over mandatory social security payments
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Social media users expressed fears the ruling may further disadvantage small companies and workers already struggling to make ends meet. BEIJING – A ruling by China's highest court has made it impossible for workers and their employers to waive social insurance contributions, triggering a broader discussion about inequalities in the welfare system. The decision by the Supreme People's Court bars informal arrangements between companies and their employees to opt out of mandatory social insurance payments from Sept 1. If enforced, the rules are especially a threat to small and medium-sized businesses, according to Societe Generale, which estimates they could increase costs to workers and employers by about 1 per cent of gross domestic product. Alarm swept through social media in response to the verdict on Aug 1, as fears spread of layoffs and business failures if the ruling further disadvantages small companies and workers already struggling to make ends meet. 'Of course that is going to cause anxiety and panic,' Douyin user Tiandiren Zhuo Lawyer said in a video liked over 20,000 times. How China manages its welfare system is key to restoring the confidence of households after the collapse of property prices, as authorities pivot to building a consumption-driven economy. The government has pledged to strengthen the safety net to improve people's ability to spend more and save less, with outlays in the first half on social needs reaching the highest in almost two decades. Cracking down on mandatory social insurance contributions – which until now haven't been strictly enforced – is largely in line with the goals of offering more social support while also replenishing pension coffers as payouts increase with a surge of retirees. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia India, Singapore ministers discuss deeper tie-ups in digitalisation, skills, industrial parks Business More seniors remain employed after retirement and re-employment ages raised in 2022: MOM study Singapore askST: Will assets seized in $3b money laundering case be sold at public auctions? Business StarHub first-half profit falls 41.7% to $47.9m; telco eyes 'more aggressive stance' amid competition Business CapitaLand Investment first-half profit falls 13.3%, appoints new CEO of private funds Singapore 2 dead after fire in Jalan Bukit Merah flat, about 60 evacuated Sport PSG beat Tottenham on penalties to win Uefa Super Cup Singapore TB screenings at two pre-schools after staff member diagnosed in July The court painted its decision as protecting workers' rights and didn't explicitly acknowledge the risks. The ruling 'effectively protects citizens' basic rights such as the right to social security, disperses employment risks for employers, and actively addresses the issue of an aging population, ' it said. More than 20 million workers will retire each year over the next decade, and a record-low birth rate means fewer people are entering the labour force to make contributions to sustain pensioner benefits. Such worries were palpable on social media. In a video viewed over 30,000 times on Weibo, a restaurant owner announced he was planning to close when the new rules come into effect because he couldn't afford the payments. 'This move will simply force employers to take from employee salaries to make the mandatory payments,' according to one popular Weibo post from user Awuxiaoxie. Many workers voiced their desire to receive higher salaries rather than an uncertain pension in the future. 'The money I pay now is taken by the elderly – but if no one is having children, who is going to pay social insurance to support me?' asked one user on Weibo, another popular platform. A 2019 study by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences projects the main state pension fund, which operates on a pay-as-you-go model, will run out of money by 2035. The government in Beijing, however, can still make pension payments by using state funds. China has built the world's largest social security network covering more than one billion people as the economy transitioned away from central planning, where workers enjoyed cradle-to-grave welfare provided by state employers. But the system that has emerged resulted in huge disparities. Though there is a lack of official statistics, some analysts estimate state sector employees receive pension payouts that are around twice those of their counterparts working in the private sector. Inequality is pervasive elsewhere, with the average monthly pension payout for private enterprise workers reaching 3,162 yuan (S$564) in 2023, much higher than the 214 yuan for rural residents and unemployed urban dwellers. A rise in the gig economy has posed additional challenge to the system, as many flexible workers are left out of the system. The impact of the regulations could be widespread, given how common informal agreements are among workers and employers. A survey of more than 6,000 firms last year found only 28 per cent were 'fully compliant' on social security support, according to the Zhonghe Group. The financial burden on companies explains their motivation in waiving the employer's contributions. Once the loophole is plugged, some people argue the new rules would wipe out companies that struggle to stay competitive and survive only on low costs. Should the impact prove to be 'significant,' the government will likely push back the implementation date or offer measures designed to ease the fallout on companies, according to SocGen analysts Michelle Lam and Wei Yao. 'If social security laws are strictly enforced, this will no doubt raise costs for employers who have avoided making contributions in the past, likely resulting in job layoffs or wage cuts to minimise the impact on their revenue,' they said in a report. 'Another shock to the labour market is the last thing policymakers would like to see, so this should lead to policy recalibration.' BLOOMBERG
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Hong Kong issues highest rain warning as Storm Podul passes city
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Fishermen secured their boats across storm-battered southern Taiwan on August 13 as Typhoon Podul intensified. HONG KONG – The Hong Kong Observatory issued its most severe rainstorm warning on Aug 14, as Tropical Storm Podul passed to the north-east of the city. The weather agency released the black rainstorm alert at 7.50am local time. Up to 200mm of rain was recorded since midnight in parts of the city. Schools were shut and residents were advised to shelter in place while the highest rain warning is in force. Following the warning, the Hong Kong judiciary announced the adjournment of ex-media mogul Jimmy Lai's national security trial for the morning. The pause comes as the closely watched trial entered its final arguments. Lai, the 77-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, is facing charges of conspiring to collude with foreign forces under the national security law and a colonial-era sedition charge. He has been detained since December 2020. Proceedings will remain suspended for the rest of the day if the warning signal remains at 11am. It's the fifth time in 2025 that the observatory has had to raise the black rainstorm signal. That's a record and it extends the city's recent run of exceptionally wet conditions. Last week, Hong Kong was drenched by the highest daily August rainfall total since records began in 1884. BLOOMBERG
