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Greece approves new immigration law! Rejected asylum seekers will be forcibly deported
2025-09-03 20:56:33 / BOTA
The Greek Parliament has today approved a new and highly controversial law, which significantly tightens immigration policies and criminalizes illegal stay on Greek territory.
The new law, approved after a debate in the Greek Parliament, provides for the forced return of rejected asylum seekers, as well as imprisonment of two to five years for all foreign citizens who are in Greece without proper documentation.
"Migrants whose asylum applications are rejected and who do not leave the country within 14 days will face prison sentences of two to five years," The Guardian reports .
The legal initiative passed in Parliament with the votes of the ruling conservative majority "New Democracy (ND)", also supported by the nationalist party "Niki" and several far-right independent MPs.
All left-wing opposition parties, including Pasok, Syriza and the Communist Party (KKE), voted against.
PASOK called the law “illegal, chaotic and unenforceable.” KKE called it “racist and shameful.”
According to the content of the law: Rejected asylum seekers will be forcibly returned to their countries if they do not leave voluntarily. Illegal stay in Greece now constitutes a criminal offense, punishable by 2 to 5 years in prison. Third-country nationals who have been issued a return order will be held in administrative detention until their departure. Foreigners who return to Greece without documents after expulsion will face new penalties, no less than 3 years in prison.
Reactions and criticism from human rights organizations
The law has been harshly criticized by international institutions and organizations: the High Commissioner for Refugees, the Greek Ombudsman, the Union of Administrative Judges, as well as dozens of human rights NGOs.
They warn that such measures violate basic human rights, are contrary to the International Refugee Conventions, and will create difficult humanitarian situations in reception camps.
Meanwhile, Migration Minister Thanos Plevris defended the law, calling it an "extremely preventive measure," stressing that Greece is "the first country to criminalize the illegal stay of immigrants."
"Illegal immigrants should know that they will be placed under administrative detention and under supervision, because they are committing a crime and will face prison ," said the minister, known for his anti-immigration stances.
The law comes just two months after a three-month suspension of asylum applications for citizens from North African countries, following a surge in arrivals on the tourist island of Crete.
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