New legislation threatens aid workers with decade-long prison terms whilst tightening penalties for migrant trafficking
Greece’s parliament will soon debate legislation that dramatically reshapes the country’s approach to irregular migration; a proposal that has ignited fierce debate between those demanding border security and humanitarian organizations warning of criminalizing compassion, according to AFP.
Migration Minister Thanos Plevris, whose political roots lie in Greece’s far-right movement, unveiled the bill Saturday. At its core: life imprisonment for convicted human traffickers and immediate expulsion for migrants found guilty of smuggling offences. The proposals also contain a particularly contentious provision, criminalizing assistance provided to irregular migrants by those with legal residency status.
The sweeping measures arrive as Greece grapples with its legacy as Europe’s primary gateway during the 2015 Syrian refugee crisis. Yet it’s the bill’s treatment of humanitarian workers that has provoked the sharpest backlash.
Fifty six NGOs including Greek chapters of Médecins du Monde and Médecins Sans Frontières have demanded immediate withdrawal of provisions that could imprison aid workers for up to ten years and impose fines reaching tens of thousands of euros. They particularly condemn the extraordinary ministerial powers allowing organizations to be deregistered based merely on charges against a single member, without conviction.
The timing is pointed. Just weeks ago, twenty four aid workers, including Sarah Mardini, the Syrian refugee whose story inspired the film The Swimmers, were acquitted on Lesbos of forming a criminal organization and facilitating illegal entry. They had faced two decades behind bars.
The legislation isn’t entirely punitive. It attempts a carrot-and-stick approach, streamlining legal migration pathways through simplified hiring procedures for third-country workers, specialized visas for tech sector employees, and study-duration residence permits for international students. Vocational training programs targeting construction, agriculture, and tourism sectors aim to integrate asylum seekers and refugees into Greece’s labour market.
Whether this dual approach represents pragmatic reform or dangerous overreach remains fiercely contested. What seems certain is that Greece’s migration policies stand at a crossroads and the direction chosen will reverberate far beyond its borders.
