Greece threatens rejected asylum seekers with jail under tougher new migration policy

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece will end mass legalization programs for migrants and jail those awaiting deportation under tougher policies set to take effect this summer, Migration Minister Makis Voridis said Friday.
Migrants with rejected asylum claims will face a minimum of two years in jail, with sentences commuted upon deportation, he said.
The plans, outlined by Greece's conservative government — and closely watched by other European Union member states — were discussed at a Cabinet meeting this week. The European Union has pledged to make deportations a priority in 2025 and finalize common rules across the 27-nation bloc.
According to the European Commission, about 80% of deportation orders across member states are not carried out. Voridis said the rate is even higher in Greece and urged the EU to set clearer criteria for legal residence.
'We can agree that someone's economic necessity alone cannot be grounds for legal migration. If we did accept that, (Europe) should prepare to receive hundreds of millions,' Voridis told private broadcaster Antenna.
Currently, migrants denied residence permits typically receive six-month suspended sentences if they fail to leave the country. Under the new rules, a minimum jail term will be imposed, the minister said.
A program that allowed up to 40,000 migrants who had lived illegally in Greece for at least three years to legalize their status was ended in March. It will not be renewed to avoid creating 'distorted' long-term incentives, said Voridis.
Greece remains a key entry point for migrants into Europe and receives financial and operational support from the EU, including assistance from the border agency Frontex.
However, Athens has faced international criticism for alleged summary deportations — which it denies — and over its handling of a deadly 2023 shipwreck that killed hundreds.
Last week, lawyers representing survivors and families of the victims of that shipwreck said they were formally notified by naval prosecutors that 17 coast guard officials will face a criminal investigation. The action follows a two-year inquiry that found grounds for prosecution. ___
Follow AP's global coverage of migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Bloomberg

an hour ago

• Bloomberg

Farage's Rise Calls Bank of England Independence Into Question

In the nearly three decades since Gordon Brown handed control of interest rates to the Bank of England, the move has been broadly viewed as a success in helping to keep inflation under control. Now that consensus appears to be breaking down. The surge of Nigel Farage's Reform UK party in national opinion polls poses a direct challenge to the BOE at a time when central bank independence is being tested across the world. Farage, a vocal supporter of Donald Trump, has at times targeted the BOE in a way that echoes the US President's aggressive approach to the US Federal Reserve.

Yahoo

an hour ago

• Yahoo

What happens next is largely in Iran's control - but there are no good choices

As the sun rises above Jerusalem this morning, Israelis will be waking to the news that America has joined their war and attacked Iran. It will be met with mixed feelings.

New York Times

2 hours ago

• New York Times

Europe Is Finally Ready to Spend More on Defense. The Hard Part Is How.

Around the globe, growth has been slowing, trade and investment have been falling, and now, escalating Middle East tensions are shaking up markets. But governments across Europe and in Britain face an additional economic stress — significantly raising military spending. These peacetime economies have to figure out how to deter Russia, a belligerent foe that is already on a wartime footing and spending an estimated 7.5 percent of its national income on its military. The debate has intensified in the run-up to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's annual summit meeting this week at The Hague, where the security alliance will set new spending goals. President Trump has demanded that the other 31 NATO members devote 5 percent of their total economic output to defense, up from the current 2 percent target. He has also made clear that the United States will reduce its financial and troop commitments, though it is unclear by how much. This is a 'global reset,' Lt. Gen. Sean Clancy, the new chief of the European Union's military committee, said at a security conference in Brussels this month. But 'we haven't even defined what the transition looks like.' Money, though, is far from the only issue Europe confronts now that it has reluctantly accepted the reality that it must be able to protect itself without help from the United States. Formidable political, strategic and regulatory hurdles remain. E.U. leaders must maintain public support for common military spending and joint weapons procurement, even as right-wing nationalist sentiments oppose giving the bloc more power. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.