Greece is formally pushing the European Union to let member states temporarily shut down asylum applications when they f...

Greece is formally pushing the European Union to let member states temporarily shut down asylum applications when they face extreme migration pressure, a proposal shaped directly by this summer's crisis in Ceuta. Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris presented the plan to EU interior ministers in Luxembourg on Thursday, calling it a "Special Derogation Regime." Under the proposal, governments could halt new asylum applications for a limited period, speed up returns, and receive immediate Frontex support when arrivals spike rapidly, local systems buckle, and there is evidence of organized or state-backed facilitation. The push was triggered by events on July 30 and 31, when more than 70,000 people crossed from Morocco into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta in roughly 48 hours. Spain deployed police, military, helicopters, vessels, and drones to respond. Tens of thousands were returned within days, but around 10,000 remain. Dutch Migration Minister Bart van den Brink backed the Greek proposal, arguing mass arrivals like those in Ceuta should be treated as a border management issue, not an asylum issue. The proposal has not been adopted and remains under discussion at the EU level. Greece has already done this twice. Athens suspended asylum applications for one month in March 2020 when Turkey announced it would stop blocking migrants at the Evros border, and again for three months in July 2025 after a surge of boats from Libya reached Crete. EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner acknowledged borders need stronger protection but said international law must still be respected. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen separately announced in September that Brussels is preparing a European Emergency Response Framework to address situations where migration movements are, in her words, "engineered and weaponised." Ministers also approved a new return regulation Thursday allowing member states to set up return hubs outside EU territory. According to two European Parliament members, Rwanda has held preliminary talks with some EU countries about hosting such a facility, with transfers potentially beginning in 2027. #Greece #Immigration #EU