Spurred on by a surge in asylum seekers this year, Greece’s parliament has stiffened penalties for unqualified migrant arrivals while speeding up the turn-around time for sending them back to their home countries.
The jump in arrivals from Libya entering the European Union via the Greek islands of Crete and Gavdos resulted in a temporary ban by the government on processing asylum applications by migrants from North Africa.
Under the new legislation, undocumented migrants entering from third countries deemed safe by the EU and therefore not entitled to asylum must return home or face detention for a minimum of two years plus fines of up to 10,000 euros.
The new law is the latest move by the conservative government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, which, since his election in 2019, has erected a fence along Greece’s northern border and stepped-up sea patrols in its efforts to deter migrants from entering the country.
This week, Migration Minister Thanos Plevris told parliament that the rights of Greeks seeking to protect their country outweigh those of a migrant whose asylum was rejected and remained in Greece illegally.
Despite misgivings, the UNHCR has acknowledged that fast-track asylum procedures could help speed up distinguishing between refugees and non-refugees and how their respective cases should be handled.
In the past, Athens has been accused by human rights groups of forcefully turning back asylum-seekers at its sea and land borders. This year, the European Union border agency has said it is reviewing 12 cases of potential human rights violations by Greece.
