New migrant crisis fears over Greek law change

THE EU’S anti-immigration plan was left in tatters yesterday, prompting fears of a new surge in arrivals.

Judges have torn down a central plank of the bloc’s strategy that has barred migrants who reach several Greek islands, including Kos and Rhodes, from moving on to the mainland.

The measure was introduced to prevent a repeat of the 2015 migration crisis, when more than a million migrants flocked to Europe in the biggest arrival since the Second World War.

EU officials yesterday described the decision as a ‘big worry’, with the country already experiencing a recent increase in the number of migrant arrivals.

Greece’s top administrative court, the Council of State, annulled the decision to prevent people from leaving the islands. It said asylum seekers should be able to move freely throughout the country as their cases are considered.

Greek authorities said they were analysing the effects of the ruling.