Greece’s migration minister on Thursday warned of a “mass invasion operation” from North Africa, defending a proposed new law that would suspend asylum applications for sea arrivals and give them a choice between “prison or exit from the country.”
Speaking in a tense parliamentary debate, Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris said the government would not be blackmailed by smuggling networks, citing an estimated three million migrants currently waiting on Libya’s shores with the hope of crossing into Europe.
“If we allow these flows to continue, we will be talking about population replacement, not protection of the vulnerable,” Mr. Plevris told lawmakers. “Our message is clear: Stay where you are, you are not welcome here.”
The government has submitted an emergency amendment that would temporarily halt the processing of asylum claims for anyone arriving illegally by sea from North Africa. The measure is a direct response to a record surge of migrant boats reaching the island of Crete in recent weeks.
The hardline proposal drew criticism in parliament, with former Deputy Prime Minister Evangelos Venizelos questioning its constitutionality. Mr. Plevris countered that the policy was modeled on measures already upheld by European law at Greece’s land border with Turkey.
The minister also sharply criticized the role of some non-governmental organizations in the Mediterranean, accusing them of exploiting European funds. “Enough with NGOs that milk European funds! Their so-called humanitarianism is just business,” he said.