Prison sentence for migrants: Athens wants to tighten migration policy

People who are illegally in Greece and do not want to go voluntarily should be punished with at least three years in prison. The conservative government wants to act more sharply against irregular migration with a corresponding draft law.

This is an important step towards restoring the balance between the protection of human rights and the preservation of the legal system, social cohesion and national security, it was said in a communication by the Ministry of Migration. The draft will soon be presented to the parliament in Athens.

So far, people without the right to stay in Greece have no prison sentence. Rather, they are brought to a warehouse in order to be shown later. You can get output in the warehouse.

According to the draft law, a suspension or conversion of the prison sentence is fundamentally excluded – unless those affected declare themselves ready for a voluntary departure. In this case, the punishment can be canceled. “In the future, those affected should only be open to two options: arrest or return,” it said from the ministry.

Asylum stop after arrival in Crete

Greece has temporarily no longer assumed asylum applications from migrants who enter North Africa via the sea route. The measure was decided after the arrival of thousands of people on the island of Crete and should above all be deterrent. The asylum stop initially applies for three months. The corresponding law had passed the parliament on the same day.