In the heart of a sweltering, cavernous hall on Crete, rows of men sit in silence with nothing to do but wait. Behind them, signs from an old tourist fair urge visitors to “Explore the Beauty of Nature,” with images of serene beaches in stark contrast to their reality. These are not holidaymakers but migrants who risked the perilous journey across the sea from Libya to Europe’s southern tip, only to be detained and stripped of their right to apply for asylum.
Greek authorities are now transferring them to closed facilities on the mainland, including the Amygdaleza detention camp outside Athens. The right to seek protection is enshrined in EU and international law as well as Greece’s own constitution, yet earlier this month the government abruptly suspended asylum applications for at least three months. The move, criticized by human rights groups, is part of what officials call an emergency response to a surge in arrivals.
Migration Minister Thanos Plevris has described the situation as a “state of emergency,” warning of an “invasion” and vowing that “anyone who comes will be detained and returned.” Even people fleeing war in Sudan, ordinarily eligible for asylum, are now locked up without a chance to tell their story.
Inside the former Ayia exhibition centre, where many migrants are held, the conditions are harsh. Greece is baking in a summer heatwave, and the men, many stripped to their waists, survive with only a few water taps and grubby blankets on the floor. Boxes of donated clothes and toys remain unopened as guards fear sparking fights. Among the detainees are teenage boys and a handful of women, with most coming from Sudan, Egypt, Bangladesh, and Yemen.
More than 7,000 migrants reached Crete between January and late June, over three times the number recorded in 2024. The Libya-to-Crete route has now overtaken others in the Eastern Mediterranean, with the EU’s Frontex border agency logging almost 20,000 crossings in the same period. Smuggling networks turned to Crete after Italy struck a controversial deal with Libya to intercept and push back migrants, despite widespread evidence of abuses.
One of those caught in the crackdown is Mustafa, a 20-year-old Sudanese refugee who fled the war in his country. After enduring months in Libya and surviving a two-day sea crossing in a packed plastic boat, he was detained upon arrival in Crete and later transferred to Amygdaleza. “We are living here like a prison,” Mustafa said in a phone call. “They don’t allow us to move. We don’t have clothes or shoes. Our situation is very bad.” He fears being sent back. “I left my country because of the war. I can’t go back. I want protection. That’s why I came here. Now we do not know what our fate will be.”
Plevris defends the policy, claiming the island was receiving “close to a thousand” migrants in just three days. He argues that Greece cannot absorb such pressure and insists that Sudanese refugees could “stay in Libya” instead. The European Commission has said it is “looking into” the decision, calling the measure an “exception” due to the potential impact on European security.
Legal experts and rights groups dispute the justification. Dimitris Fourakis, a lawyer working with migrants in Crete, argues the suspension is illegal under both Greek and international law. “This article is for war or a massive uprising,” he said, referring to the European Convention on Human Rights clause that allows temporary suspension of certain rights. “It’s a very big step, a very wrong step. I think the best they can do is stop it immediately.”
As the tourist season peaks on Crete, the government’s priority is protecting the island’s image. But for the thousands of migrants trapped in detention under sweltering conditions, the fight is no longer about image; it is about survival and the fundamental right to seek safety.
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