The Greek Parliament has passed a measure that suspends asylum applications for three months for individuals arriving from North Africa, stipulating their immediate expulsion from the country. INTERSOS, together with numerous other organizations, condemn this provision as illegal and impermissible, calling for its immediate withdrawal.
The undersigned Civil Society organizations condemn as illegal and impermissible the legislative provision passed by the Parliament on Friday 11 July 2025 (article 79 of Law 5218/2025), which suspends for three months the submission of asylum applications by people arriving in the country from North Africa and provides for their immediate deportation from the country without registration.
The fundamental principles of the right of access to asylum and protection against refoulement are not subject to any restrictions. They are enshrined in supra-legislative texts of international and EU law which take precedence over any national legal provision, as has already been pointed out by reputable institutions in Greece and internationally, including the Ombudsman, the National Commission for Human Rights, the Association of Administrative Judges, the Plenary Session of the Greek Bar Associations, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
We call on the Greek Government to immediately withdraw this illegal legislation and on the European Commission to take urgent action to enforce EU law and immediately remove the violation, in accordance with its statutory responsibilities.
The signatory organisations:
Solidarity of Lesvos
Association AMOKA / Athenian Museum of Fine Arts
ANTIGONI – Information and Documentation Centre for Racism, Ecology, Peace and Non-Violence
ARSIS Social Organization for Youth Support
Médecins Sans Frontières – Greek Section
Amnesty International
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
Network for the Rights of the Child
Network for the Right to Roof and Housing
Network of Young People of Immigrant Origin “ORIZONTES”
Diotima Centre
Hellenic League for Human Rights (ELEDA)
Greek Observatory of the Helsinki Accords (EOSA)
Greek Forum of Migrants
Greek Refugee Forum
Greek Council for Refugees (GCR)
Sea of Solidarity
Iris Women’s Centre
Caritas Hellas
Campaign on Access to Asylum
KISA Action for Equality, Support, Antiracism
Community of Pope John 23rd
Cyprus Council for Refugees
Human Rights Watch (HRW)
Drop / Drop in the Ocean
Association of Albanian Immigrants “Mother Teresa”
Symbiosis – Council of Europe School of Political Studies
Refugee Support in the Aegean (RSA)
Lighthouse
Action for Women
aditus foundation
Alma Community Therapies
Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos de España (APDHE)
Associazione Ricreativa e Culturale Italiana (ARCI)
Association for Legal Studies on Immigration (ASGI)
Athens Pride
Advocates Sans Frontières France
Boat Refugee Foundation
Border Violence Monitoring Network (BVMN)
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
Changemakers Lab
Collective Aid
Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ)
CPT – Aegean Migrant Solidarity
CRIBS International
Defence for Children International Greece
Dråpen i Havet
Dynamo International Social Street Workers Network
4. ECHO100PLUS
Emantes – International LGBTQIA+ Solidarity
EmpowerVan
Equal Legal Aid (ELA)
Equal Rights Beyond Borders
Equinox Initiative for Racial Justice
EUROCEF
EuroMed Rights
European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE)
European Lawyers in Lesvos (ELIL)
European Observatory for Non-Discrimination and Fundamental Rights (EONDFR)
Fenix Humanitarian Legal Aid
Fondation pour la Promotion des Droits en Algérie
HIAS Greece
The HOME Project
Human Rights Association (IHD)
Human Rights Legal Project
InterEuropean Human Aid Association
International Rescue Committee (IRC) Hellas
International League for Human Rights
I Have Rights
Inter Alia
INTERSOS HELLAS
Iridia Association – Centre for the Defence of Humans Rights
Ithaca Laundry
Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Europe
Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Greece
Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Malta
Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Portugal
Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Serbia
Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Switzerland
Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) UK
Legal Centre Lesvos
Licra Bas-Rhin
Lighthouse Relief
Ligue des droits de l’Homme (LDH)
Médecins du Monde International
Migrant Voice
Mobile Info Team
Mouvement International d’Apostolat des Milieux Sociaux Indépendants (MIAMSI)
Northern Lights Aid
Office international de l’enseignement catholique (OIEC)
PAX Romana (ICMICA- MIIC)
Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM)
PRAKSIS
PRO ASYL
Project Armonia
Refcheck point (Positive Voice)
Refugees International
Refugees Welcome, Denmark
RENATE Network (Religious in Europe Networking against Trafficking and Exploitation)
Safe Passage International Greece
Safe Place Greece
Samos Volunteers
SAO Association Hellas
Save the Children
Second Tree
Servicio Jesuita a Migrantes España
Terre des hommes Hellas
Velos Youth Centre
Vouliwatch