The Greek government has unveiled a draft law aimed at significantly tightening its migration policy, eliminating pathways to legal residency for irregular migrants and introducing tougher penalties for those whose asylum applications have been rejected.
Under the proposed legislation, irregular migrants would no longer be able to apply for residency after seven years of living in the country — a provision that Migration Minister Makis Voridis said had been widely exploited.
The draft law, which was approved by the cabinet on Wednesday (May 29), now awaits ratification by Parliament. Approval is considered highly likely, as the ruling party holds a parliamentary majority. A final vote is expected in June.
The legislation would also:
Raise the maximum period of administrative detention for deportation from 18 months to two years.
Introduce prison sentences of up to five years for those found guilty of illegal entry or residence.
Encourage voluntary repatriation to avoid legal penalties.
Voridis argued that the reforms are necessary to address inefficiencies and abuses in the current system. According to the migration ministry, Greek authorities arrested 74,000 irregular migrants in 2023, but deported only 2,500. The minister also claimed that many detainees provide false nationalities to delay deportation processes.
