On 14 August, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) issued interim measures forbidding the Greek government from deporting eight refugees from Sudan who arrived in Crete last month. The refugees remain in detention in the Amygdaleza detention centre due to the asylum suspension that was enacted and entered into force one month ago.
Refugee Support Aegean (RSA) represents four of the eight refugees. All of them have submitted asylum applications, but the Asylum Service has so far refused to register them, citing the suspension of access to asylum. The Hellenic Police have ordered their return to their country of origin or to the country they transited, Libya, under standardised decisions. The appeals they submitted against their deportation were also rejected through boilerplate decisions.
The refugees have filed for judicial review and suspension at the Administrative Court of Athens to have the return decisions against them annulled and to prevent their deportation from the country until their cases are heard.
The ECtHR’s interim measures order addresses a significant gap in the refugees’ judicial protection. It secures their right to remain in the country until the examination of their suspension applications at the administrative courts is completed, a process that can take months. This order also signals a recognition of the serious risks they face upon removal, which constitute valid grounds for their asylum applications.
We continue to support these individuals in their claim to the fundamental right to seek protection in Greece through a fair and safe process.
We note that we have already condemned, along with 108 other civil society organisations, the legislative provision which imposes a three-month suspension starting 14 July 2025 on the making of asylum applications for people arriving in Greece from North Africa, as unlawful and impermissible.
