The Greek Council of Ministers has approved a new immigration bill that aims to overhaul the country’s migrant return procedures, with the legislation now heading to Parliament for debate and approval.
The bill, introduced by Minister of Immigration Makis Voridis, is intended to streamline the deportation of third-country nationals, and criminalize those who are undocumented.
According to the Ministry of Immigration, the current deportation process has become “inefficient, highly counterproductive and complicated with lengthy administrative procedures,” further weakened by “a lack of clarity of rules,” which has “undermined compliance with the return process and the migration and asylum system in general.”
The bill is reportedly set to make it a criminal offense to remain undocumented in Greece, which will be punished with up to three years of prison time and a fine of up to 10,000.
The bill prioritizes sending people to “safe third countries” — current laws already stipulate that Greece can refuse an asylum claim on the grounds that the applicant could receive protection in Turkey, but the bill will look to expand this.
The bill also reportedly makes it impossible to gain legal status if one enters the country illegally, though the Refugee Convention states that refugees cannot be penalized for irregular entry into a country they are seeking protection from.
The bill also introduces the possible implementation of ankle bracelets on those who have been given deportation orders.
During a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis pointed to the legislation as a priority for the government: “The second issue, which I want to highlight on our agenda, is equally important. It concerns the issues of immigration and especially illegal immigration. The Minister will shortly present the provisions of the bill. If I had to underline one point, I would say that the penalties will be heavier for those who enter or reside in our country illegally if their asylum application has been rejected in the meantime[…] This is not only a national priority, it is a European priority,” Mitsotakis said.
He stated that there was a shift in European migration policy toward reinforcing external borders as well as implementing strict return mechanisms. “We have now moved to a perception in Europe that our main issue is the external dimension of migration, that is, the effective guarding of external borders, which must, however, be accompanied by a substantive return policy to Europe,” he stated.
Mitsotakis also highlighted Greece’s cooperation with Turkey in reducing irregular border crossings, noting that flows on the eastern border have declined. He praised the effectiveness of the Evros border fence and called on the European Union to increase its financial support: “Europe must assume a greater share of responsibility in financing such infrastructure to essentially protect the European borders,” Mitsotakis said.
