Greece on Friday enforced a three-month freeze on asylum claims from migrants arriving by boat from North Africa, to stem a surge from Libya that the government has called an "invasion". Plevris -- formerly a member of the far-right LAOS party and now part of Mitsotakis's New Democracy party -- has called the recent influx an "invasion from North Africa".

Migrants could be forced to eat poorer quality meals under plans to deter people from arriving in Greece on small boats. The country's firebrand migration minister, Thanos Plevris, has announced measures which he hopes will make Greece a less tempting destination for asylum seekers.

Greece's three-month asylum ban for migrants from Libya and other North African countries has been condemned by the UN and rights groups.

Greek lawmakers have voted to temporarily halt asylum requests from North African migrants arriving by sea, a decision criticized by rights groups as illegal. The move follows a surge in migrants reaching Crete and marks a tightening of Greece’s migration policies under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ government.

Greece has suspended the processing of asylum applications from North Africa for three months after a surge in migrant numbers. Arrivals by boat from the region will be arrested and detained, conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said.

The coast guard noted 7,300 asylum-seekers have reached Crete and a nearby island this year, up from fewer than 5,000 in 2024. More than 2,500 arrivals have been recorded since June alone.

Greece is suspending asylum requests from North Africa and is considering less appealing meals in migrant camps, drawing criticism for adopting far-right tactics amid a surge in arrivals from Libya.

Hotspots,' originally conceived as migrant registration sites, have gradually turned into closed detention centers, such as on the island of Samos, where asylum seekers now live in isolation.