The European Commission is aware of the Greek government's plan to suspend examination of asylum applications submitted by arrivals in boats from North Africa, Commission spokesperson for migration issues Markus Lammert said on Friday. Greece faces an "exceptional situation," he added during the daily press briefing.
Citing the European Council conclusions about the "worrying situation in Libya" and its possible consequences, both for European security and for migration flows, he added that "any measures taken by Greece must be understood against this backdrop."
Lammert added that the European Commission is in close touch with the Greek authorities so that it can obtain information about these measures and their implementation in practice.
He also stressed that the Commission continues to support Greece operationally and financially and with the support of EU agencies. "We are ready to step up that support further and we continue to work closely together when it comes to intensifying the work with partner countries," he added.