Overview

• More than 10,000 migrants have crossed from eastern Libya to Crete since early 2025, representing a 350 percent year-on-year surge.
• Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis ordered a three-month suspension of asylum processing for arrivals from North Africa.
• Parliament approved a law allowing irregular migrants to be detained for up to 18 months unless they opt for voluntary return.
• Migration Minister Thanos Plevris has begun reviewing and drastically cutting cash and in-kind benefits for asylum seekers.
• UNHCR and the International Rescue Committee warn the measures breach EU and human rights obligations amid deteriorating camp conditions.