Greek PM says EU capitals should be able to suspend asylum claims in move which risks stoking growing EU divisions over immigration ahead of emergency summit to discuss last week’s storming of Ceuta by migrants
The Greek prime minister has said that individual EU member states should be granted the power to suspend asylum claims, a stance likely to deepen existing rifts within the bloc over how to handle migration. The remarks come ahead of an emergency EU summit convened to address last week's mass crossing into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, in which large numbers of migrants stormed border defences.
Full details of the Greek leader's proposal and the reaction from other EU capitals were not available in the source material provided. The emergency summit is expected to focus on the Ceuta incident and the broader question of how asylum rules should be applied across the bloc, amid growing pressure from southern and eastern member states for tougher, more flexible national controls.
In short
- Greek PM wants EU states able to suspend asylum claims
- Move risks widening EU divisions over migration policy
- Comes ahead of emergency summit on Ceuta migrant storming
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Member states bear primary responsibility for maintaining order and managing public services within their territories. When facing unprecedented crises like Ceuta, it is unreasonable to expect governments to process asylum claims under existing frameworks whilst managing emergencies; temporary suspension permits proportionate crisis response whilst preserving long-term procedures.
The case against
Permitting unilateral suspensions erodes the shared legal framework underpinning EU asylum policy and international refugee protections. If member states can suspend claims independently, burden-sharing collapses and responsibility shifts to the most accessible neighbours, and emergency powers risk calcifying into permanent practice, transforming asylum from a protected right into a privilege granted at political whim.
Explained simply
The European Union has shared rules for examining asylum claims from people seeking protection from persecution or serious harm. Responsibility for receiving and processing arrivals often falls first on the country they reach, which has led to disputes over how the burden should be shared.
Greece, Spain and other countries at the EU’s external borders face pressure when many people arrive at once, while member states differ over how much control national governments should have. Ceuta is a Spanish territory on the North African coast, bordering Morocco; events there can raise wider questions about border management and the EU’s asylum system.
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