Written question – Massive surge in irregular arrivals to Greek islands and the adequacy of the EU’s legal and policy framework – E-003030/2025

Question for written answer  E-003030/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Marieke Ehlers (PfE), Afroditi Latinopoulou (PfE)

According to recent reports by Politico, over 9 000 individuals have arrived illegally on the Greek island of Crete from Libya since the beginning of 2025 – nearly double the total number recorded in 2024, with the majority arriving in recent weeks.

• 1.Can the Commission confirm the accuracy of these figures, and does it possess comparable data on illegal arrivals to other Greek islands, including the islands in the Aegean Sea?
• 2.In the light of such developments, does the Commission consider the EU’s current Pact on Migration and Asylum sufficiently capable of managing large-scale maritime arrivals, or does it acknowledge the need to reconsider elements of the broader international legal framework, including possible amendments to the 1951 Geneva Convention?
• 3.Would the Commission support proposals to declare inadmissible all asylum applications submitted within EU territory by nationals of countries designated as safe non-EU countries, and instead allow access to protection through external processing, such as in embassies or consular posts abroad?

Submitted: 22.7.2025