More than 70 civil society organisations have signed a joint statement condemning the recent adoption of Article 79 of Law 5218/2025 by the Hellenic Parliament on 11 July. The provision imposes a three-month suspension on the submission of asylum applications for individuals arriving in Greece from North Africa and mandates their immediate deportation without registration.
The organisations underline that the right to seek asylum and the principle of non-refoulement are fundamental rights enshrined in international and EU law, which take precedence over any domestic legislation. These rights have been reaffirmed by several key institutions, including the Greek Ombudsman, the Greek National Commission for Human Rights, the Union of Greek Administrative Judges, the Plenary of Greek Bar Associations, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, and UNHCR.
The signatories call on the Greek government to withdraw the unlawful provision without delay and urge the European Commission to take immediate steps to ensure compliance with EU law and address the ongoing infringement.
The statement remains open for additional endorsements until Friday, 18 July 2025, at 11:00 CET.