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Greece has announced on July 9, a three-month suspension of asylum hearings for migrants arriving by sea from North Africa, in response to a recent surge in arrivals from Libya.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis declared the move during a parliamentary address on Wednesday, emphasizing a hardened stance on illegal migration and warning that all unauthorized entrants will face detention. The decision comes amid escalating tensions following the abrupt expulsion on Tuesday of a European Union delegation from Benghazi, Libya, where they had arrived for migration talks.
The delegation, which included EU Commissioner for Migration Magnus Brunner and the interior ministers of Greece, Italy, and Malta, was denied a meeting with Libyan military leader Khalifa Haftar upon arrival at Benina International Airport. Haftar objected to the delegation’s request for a private meeting, insisting on the presence of Libya’s parallel government headed by Osama Hammad. The resulting diplomatic fallout prompted Hammad to accuse the EU officials of breaching protocol.
Greek officials labelled the incident as “unprecedented,” suggesting it underscores deep divisions between European and eastern Libyan authorities over handling migration and regional diplomacy.
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