Greece halts asylum rejections amid overcrowding crisis
Greek authorities have temporarily suspended the rejection of asylum applications, as the country’s detention system struggles to cope with a surge in cases and insufficient capacity under a controversial new migration law.
The suspension stems from Law 5226, which enforces a strict “return or prison” policy for asylum seekers whose applications are denied. However, with no space to detain thousands of rejected applicants, the Asylum Service has instructed staff to pause all negative decisions until further notice.
Between January and June 2025, Greek authorities issued 16,590 asylum decisions, including 4,719 rejections. Under the new law, that would have meant imprisoning roughly 5,000 people — a number the system cannot currently handle.
As of now, 27,015 asylum cases remain pending, with around 9,000 expected to be rejected once the process resumes.
Asylum Service head Marios Kaleas confirmed the suspension, calling it a “managerial decision” aimed at adjusting case procedures. He said the rejections would resume within days, once internal systems are updated.
In the meantime, authorities have begun relocating migrants from Crete to other facilities. Groups from Sudan and Eritrea are being transferred to the Malakasa center near Athens.
The situation highlights the mounting pressure on Greece’s asylum infrastructure and raises fresh concerns about the human impact of strict migration policies without sufficient support systems in place.
