Östliches Mittelmeer: Griechenland erwägt Asylstopp für Menschen aus Nordafrika – Setzen Türkei und Ostlibyen Migration als Hebel ein?
Immer mehr Schutzsuchende kommen aus Libyen zur griechischen Insel Kreta. Die Zuspitzung fällt in eine politisch heikle Phase. Athen vermutet dahinter politische Motive.
Tensions surrounding maritime borders in the eastern Mediterranean and a rising influx of migrants from Libya are causing growing concern in the Greek government. Turkey and leaders in eastern Libya have recently reaffirmed their contentious claims to a shared economic zone for a shipping lane near Greece. Moreover, an increasing number of migrants from the Libyan coast are reaching the Greek island of Crete.
In Athens, there are suspicions that Ankara and its partners in Libya are using migration as a tool to exert pressure and push for their demands in the dispute over sea territories. The conflict also involves the EU, which is negotiating with Libya to limit migration and pay millions for it. Numerous migrants are arriving in Crete alone.
On Monday, Greek coastguard reported 862 migrants from North Africa arrived in Crete. Since the beginning of the year, Greek authorities have recorded around 21,000 arrivals on Crete and nearby Gavdos island - that is nearly 1,000 more than the whole previous year. The conditions for admission are precarious: many people have to temporarily endure facilities at ports or in the open air.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
