“Migration is clearly an ideological issue, but it also has practical consequences,” said Minister of Migration and Asylum Thanos Pleuris during Wednesday’s (04.02.2026) parliamentary debate on the legal migration bill. Pleuris emphasized Greece’s firm stance: “Anyone entering illegally has no right to stay; if asylum is rejected, our sole obligation is to return them. This is a conscious choice — no one can force a sovereign state to legalize individuals who entered unlawfully.” He affirmed the policy principle: “Detention or return” for illegal entrants. Pleuris presented data showing a 21% annual drop in arrivals and a 40% decline over the last five months since strict border measures were enacted in September 2025. Under the new framework, asylum seekers whose applications are rejected are placed in closed facilities and face criminal prosecution if they refuse voluntary return — with sentence suspension conditional upon repatriation. Greece, alongside Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Austria, is exploring establishing a non-EU Return Center, possibly in Africa. Pleuris also praised the Hellenic Coast Guard, calling its daily frontline efforts against traffickers heroic — and criticized voices undermining their work. Regarding legal migrants (approx. 800,000, including 200,000 in prolonged administrative limbo), the bill aims to streamline residency procedures.
Pleuris on Migration: Stricter Measures Against Smugglers, Detention or Return for Asylum Rejections
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