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

By DEREK GATOPOULOS
Associated Press