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Greece toughens penalties for rejected asylum seekers, speeds up returns
The law increases prison terms for rejected asylum seekers and expedites deportations, reflecting a European trend to reduce irregular migration amid political pressure.
- This week, Greece's parliament passed a law making rejected asylum seekers liable for prison terms if they remain, marking one of the toughest steps by a European Union member state amid a deterrence shift.
- Across Europe, several European Union member states are scaling back protections and increasing returns as domestic governments face pushback against irregular migrants.
- Supporters argue the measures are needed to ease the burden on Greece's asylum system, strained for years as a gateway, while United Kingdom authorities warn students against false asylum claims, says the Home Office.
- Taken together, developments in Greece and the United Kingdom highlight a broader European strategy to restrict entry, accelerate deportations, and penalise overstaying, while critics warn this risks criminalising desperation and undermining basic human rights protections for rejected asylum seekers.
- The Home Office warned that the law accelerates deportation proceedings, aligning with European Union states to increase returns and reduce irregular migration, while Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stressed strict views on misuse by international students.
23 Articles
23 Articles
On Wednesday, 3 September, the Greek Parliament adopted a controversial law providing for "forced returns" of rejected asylum-seekers. With this law, illegal stay in the country is now criminalized and punishable by prison terms ranging from two to five years.
Greece Adopts Tougher Asylum Laws To Deter Immigration
Greece’s parliament has enacted strict new immigration legislation, significantly hardening its approach to asylum seekers whose applications are rejected. The law, approved on Wednesday, September 3rd, introduces prolonged detention and hefty fines for those entering the country illegally while accelerating the process of returning migrants to their countries of origin. This is a decisive policy shift by the conservative government of Prime Min…
Greece wants to strengthen its migration policy.
Dnevni list Danas
politika.rsThe Greek parliament today passed a controversial law that provides for the forced return of rejected asylum seekers and criminalizes illegal residence in the country, which is now punishable by a prison sentence of two to five years.
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