Back to Headlines
World Wide
Jun 01, 2026
Analyzed by Llama- 4 Scout 17B 16E Instruct

Greece Reopens Asylum Cases for Syrians and Afghans, Sparking Concerns

AI Summary
Greece has reopened asylum cases for 1,200 Syrians and Afghans, citing the end of civil wars in both countries. The move has sparked concerns among refugees and human rights lawyers, who argue that returns to Syria and Afghanistan are not safe.

The Reopening of Asylum Cases

Athens, Greece – Bashir, a Syrian Muslim who has lived in Greece since 2014, had his asylum case reopened in February. He, along with 1,200 other Syrians, received a notice to restate his reasons for coming to Greece and why he should not return to Syria.

Bashir's lawyer, Angeliki Theodoropoulou, said that only men are currently receiving such notices, and not just from Syria but also from Afghanistan, another country whose civil war is deemed to have ended.

The Concerns Over Safety

However, neither Syria nor Afghanistan is considered safe to return to. Theodoropoulou argued that the entire regime of international protection is being tightened for these two nationalities, with few asylum cases being granted and many rejections.

Bashir expressed his concerns, saying, “I don’t understand how this can happen. If they decide I should leave the country, should my family stay here?”

Greece's Shift in Migration Policy

Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris announced in February that he had ordered a reopening of any asylum cases that could be revoked. The move is part of a broader effort to tighten migration policy in Greece.

Last year, Greece revoked the asylum of almost 200 people, compared with 400 in the previous decade. Dozens more cases are under review this year.

The Broader Context

Europe is undergoing a transition as it prepares to put into force an Asylum and Migration Pact next month. The pact demands a hard-border policy and a returns policy for rejected asylum seekers, both of which each member state must manage itself.

Kristin Fabbe, chair in Business and Comparative Politics at the European University Institute, noted that Europe has not yet figured out how to do returns at scale, which is a major bottleneck in reforming asylum and migration policies.