Greece has ignited a fierce debate across Europe and beyond after passing some of the harshest migration laws seen in the region in years. On September 3, 2025, the Greek parliament approved sweeping new legislation that threatens rejected asylum seekers with prison sentences, hefty fines, and even electronic monitoring—bold measures that the government claims are essential for national security, but which critics argue risk criminalizing vulnerable people and undermining international law.
At the heart of the new law lies a zero-tolerance approach to irregular migration. Anyone whose asylum claim is denied and who fails to leave Greece within 14 days now faces between two and five years in prison. The law also introduces fines of €10,000 for those found guilty of illegal entry, and rejected asylum seekers can be ordered to wear ankle tags for electronic monitoring. Detention periods for undocumented arrivals have been extended from 18 to 24 months, and the right for undocumented migrants to legalize their status after seven years of residence has been abolished.
Migration Minister Thanos Plevris, a prominent figure in the center-right government, left little room for ambiguity when addressing parliament ahead of the vote. "We are accountable to Greek citizens, and Greek citizens want to be protected," Plevris declared, according to The Guardian. "The message is clear [for migrants]: if your asylum request is rejected, you have two choices. Either you go to jail or return to your homeland. The Greek state does not accept you … You are not welcome." He added that international protection would still be granted to those who qualify, but emphasized that the Greek state would no longer tolerate irregular migration.
This legislative crackdown comes just weeks after Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a controversial 90-day suspension of asylum applications, citing a surge in arrivals from Libya to the southern islands of Crete and Gavdos. In early July 2025 alone, more than 2,000 migrants made the crossing—a sharp increase compared to the dramatic drop in migrant numbers since the 2015 refugee crisis, when over 850,000 people arrived in Greece, often using it as a gateway to the rest of Europe.
Mitsotakis insisted the suspension was necessary to disrupt smuggling networks and "send a clear message that Greece’s borders are closed." Human rights groups, however, were quick to condemn the move, calling it a grave violation of international law and warning that it could put lives at risk. According to BBC reporting, the government in power since 2019 has consistently framed its migration stance as "tough but fair," denying allegations of illegal pushbacks at sea and insisting that the latest measures are aimed at protecting national security and easing pressure on the frontline islands that have borne the brunt of arrivals.
Yet the backlash to the new law was immediate and broad. Judges took the unprecedented step of publicly criticizing the legislation’s emphasis on repression. The legal community’s concerns were echoed by migrant solidarity workers, who called the law both racist and nonsensical given Greece’s acute demographic crisis and chronic labor shortages. Lefteris Papagiannakis, director of the Greek Council for Refugees, told The Guardian, "It’s so contradictory that this should be passed when Greece’s population is in such freefall, and when migrants offer the solution to labor shortages."
The demographic challenges facing Greece are hard to ignore. Just last week, the education ministry was forced to close more than 750 schools due to a lack of pupils—a stark reminder of the country’s shrinking population. Former migration minister Dimitris Kairidis, who stepped down in 2024, argued that while deterrence is important, Athens must also ease legal pathways for migration at a time when the economy is growing and labor shortages are acute. "Greece needs both to counter illegal, but also encourage legal, migration as needed by its growing economy," Kairidis told The Guardian. During his tenure, he legalized the status of 30,000 unregistered migrant laborers desperately needed in the agriculture, construction, and tourism sectors.
Despite these warnings, the Mitsotakis administration has doubled down on its approach. Migration Minister Plevris, whose hardline stance has sometimes unsettled more moderate members of the government, expressed pride in the legislation. Addressing parliament, he said he was proud to have overseen the law, which he believes puts Greece "at the forefront of policies that few EU members have wanted to enforce." The government insists that the measures are necessary to maintain order and protect the interests of Greek citizens, and officials consistently deny accusations of illegal pushbacks or human rights violations.
The political context is complex. While the government claims broad public support for tougher migration policies, the new law has exposed deep divisions within Greek society and the political establishment. Critics from across the political spectrum have questioned whether the legislation is compatible with Greece’s obligations under European and international refugee conventions. Some accuse Mitsotakis of trying to shore up support from the far right by taking an uncompromising stance on migration, particularly as Greece faces ongoing economic and demographic pressures.
Supporters of the legislation argue that Greece, as a frontier state and gateway to Europe, has borne a disproportionate burden during the migration crises of the past decade. They point to the need for stronger deterrents to prevent smuggling and irregular crossings, especially given the recent surge in arrivals from North Africa. The government also argues that the new law brings Greece in line with other EU member states that have taken tough measures to control migration flows.
Opponents, however, warn that the law risks criminalizing desperate people fleeing conflict and poverty, and could push more migrants into the hands of smugglers or force them to live underground. They also question the long-term sustainability of a policy that relies so heavily on detention and punishment, rather than integration and legal pathways for migration. The closure of hundreds of schools due to population decline, they argue, is a clear sign that Greece needs migrants to support its economy and society—an argument that resonates with many business leaders and economists.
As Greece implements its new migration law, the country finds itself at a crossroads. The government’s commitment to a zero-tolerance policy may satisfy some voters and deter some irregular migration, but it also risks deepening social divisions and undermining Greece’s international reputation as a country that respects human rights. With the demographic crisis looming and labor shortages growing, the debate over migration is unlikely to fade anytime soon.
For now, the message from Athens is unmistakable: Greece’s borders are closed to those who do not qualify for asylum, and the consequences for staying illegally have never been more severe. Whether this approach will solve the country’s migration challenges—or simply create new ones—remains to be seen.
