Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Wednesday that Greece will suspend asylum hearings for migrants arriving by boat from North Africa for a period of three months, citing a sharp rise in migrant arrivals from Libya.
Speaking before the Greek Parliament, Mitsotakis stated that Greece is “closing the route” to the country, warning that “any migrant entering illegally will be arrested and detained,” according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Haftar Refuses to Meet Interior Ministers of Italy, Greece, and Malta
This move comes just a day after the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Commander-in-Chief Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, canceled a scheduled visit by a European delegation to Benghazi. The delegation included high-ranking officials, such as the European Commissioner for Migration, Magnus Brunner, along with the interior ministers of Italy, Greece, and Malta.
According to the Greek news outlet Proto Thema, the delegation’s aircraft landed on schedule at Benina International Airport in Benghazi. However, members of the delegation were informed upon arrival that Haftar refused to meet them privately, insisting that any meeting must include the Libyan government appointed by the House of Representatives, headed by Prime Minister Osama Hammad.
Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis described the incident as “unprecedented,” saying it reflected the Eastern Libyan authorities’ clear stance on the migration issue.
Meanwhile, in Tripoli, the European delegation held talks on Tuesday with the Head of the Government of National Unity (GNU), Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba, Acting Interior Minister Imad Trabelsi, and Labour and Rehabilitation Minister Ali Al-Abed. Discussions focused on addressing irregular migration and mechanisms to halt migrant flows from Libyan territory.
Previously, the government appointed by the House of Representatives accused the European delegation of “grossly violating diplomatic protocols and international conventions” and failing to respect Libya’s national sovereignty.
Earlier this week, the same government ordered all foreign delegations and diplomatic missions to refrain from visiting Libya or traveling within its territory without prior authorization.
