The Greek government has warned that there are over half a million migrants waiting in Libya to cross the Mediterranean and land in Europe, sparking concerns of another migrant crisis.
Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris said this week that Athens estimates there are approximately 550,000 migrants waiting in Libya, the African hub, for the opportunity to cross to Europe.
Pelvris said that Athens is working closely with Libyan authorities as well as the European Union’s external border force Frontex to prevent migrant boats from taking off from the coastline of the Maghreb nation.
“Those who are not entitled to asylum will be detained,” the migration minister said, per Greek news outlet Voria. “Now, when it is likely that someone will not get asylum, they are not placed in a freedom status but in a detention status, so that with the rejection of asylum, they can be returned.”
The official defended the hardline approach taken by the conservative government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to reduce illegal immigration, saying that “there is no reason for Greece to open its borders and accept people” and therefore Greece “will operate within the legal framework, but will also reach its limits in order to protect the borders.”
Among the policies enacted by Athens to stem the tide of illegals has been the erection of a 41-kilometre (25-mile) wall along the Turkish border, which has previously been weaponised by the Islamist Erdogan government in Ankara.
The government has also made it a criminal offence to enter Greece illegally, with a minimum prison sentence of 2 years and a fine of up to €10,000. Those found to have stayed past their visa expiration or remained in the country after having their asylum claims rejected face two to five years in prison.
Migrants who had their asylum requests shut down are now only legally allowed to remain in the country for 14 days before facing fines, prison, and potential ankle monitoring.
Upon the law’s passage in September, Migration Minister Plevris said: “We are accountable to Greek citizens, and Greek citizens want to be protected… The message is clear [for migrants]: if your asylum request is rejected, you have two choices. Either you go to jail or return to your homeland. The Greek state does not accept you… You are not welcome.”
The warnings of a new migration surge from Libya come amid an uptick in recorded illegal landings in Greece, with this week seeing 268 migrants arrive on the southern island of Crete in just a 24-hour period. Earlier in the week, 126 landed in Crete after crossing the sea in small boats from Libya.
The estimates from the Greek government may be on the low end, with the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) identifying some 939,638 migrants living in Libya at the end of 2025, a record high. However, the agency did not identify how many are actually planning to seek better fortunes in Europe, stay in Libya, return to their homeland, or travel elsewhere.
Clustered in metropolitan centres like Benghazi and Tripoli, the main migrant groups residing in the country are from fellow African nations such as Chad, Egypt, Niger, Nigeria, and Sudan.