*Data from MSF International Activity Report 2024
Greece 2024 © Myrto Mouzaki/MSF
Greece
Providing medical and humanitarian assistance to migrants and refugees.
News update
Greece suspends asylum processing as thousands arrive in Crete
July 14, 2025 — The Greek government has suspended the processing of asylum applications for people arriving from North Africa by sea. The decision follows the recent arrival of thousands of migrants and asylum seekers to the island of Crete who are being held in makeshift facilities such as ports, stadiums, and warehouses. These facilities frequently lack adequate shelter, sanitation, and access to running water. In response, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) deployed a medical team to support immediate humanitarian and medical needs across three locations where people are being held under Coast Guard supervision.
Christina Psarra, general director of MSF Greece gave the following statement in response to the suspension: “The decision to suspend asylum applications in Greece is a direct attack on the rule of law and human dignity. It sends a stark message: The government would rather deny people their rights and allow unlawful detention than uphold its legal obligations. Denying protection strips people of legal safeguards and blocks access to even the most basic health care. “MSF is currently [working] in Crete following the arrival of over 2,500 people. [We are] providing medical consultations, referring vulnerable individuals to hospitals, and supporting humanitarian needs across all three sites where people are held.“The escalation of violence and the criminalization of asylum seekers reflect a profound failure by the Greek government, EU institutions, and EU member states to recognize a simple truth: People would not risk their lives at sea or face imprisonment if they had any other choice. Seeking protection is a right.”
Our work in Greece
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) offers a range of support services to migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers subjected to restrictive and inhumane migration practices in Greece.
What's happening in Greece?
Sea arrivals increased in 2024 by 31 percent compared to 2023, overwhelming poorly managed reception centers. On Samos, where over 10,000 refugees arrived in 2024, the Closed Controlled Access Center (CCAC) remained severely overcrowded, with limited access to basic services. Ineffective public health policies led to the spread of diseases such as scabies and gastrointestinal infections, compounding the suffering of the people held there.
How we're helping in Greece
In 2024 MSF ran mobile units inside the CCAC, as well as a day center in Vathi, to provide people with essential medical care. Arrivals on Lesbos fluctuated during the year but still accounted for 20 percent of the overall annual number. At the Mavrovouni CCAC, MSF provided multidisciplinary services, comprising basic health care, mental health and psychosocial support, sexual and reproductive health care, and health promotion activities, as well as referrals for legal services. We also coordinated a scabies campaign in the summer.
How we're helping
30,900
Outpatient consultations
5,850
Individual mental health consultations
390
People treated for sexual violence
2,270
Consultations for contraceptive services
More news and stories
Learn about MSF’s journalistic roots and our commitment to bear witness and speak out about the plight of the people we treat.
Learn about MSF’s journalistic roots and our commitment to bear witness and speak out about the plight of the people we treat.
How you can help
Not everyone can treat patients in the field. But everyone can do something.
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