“Greece is not being blackmailed and there is no friendly environment for illegal migration,” Minister of Migration and Asylum, Thanos Plevris, said on Wednesday speaking to state broadcaster ERT.
He presented the immediate results of the asylum suspension and announced a new strict legislative framework.
“Just 1,300 migrants entered Greece in 45 days compared to 700 people per day in the past. So the measure is clearly effective. It does not eliminate the flows, but it drastically limits them; and this, combined with the diplomacy we are exercising, strengthens the country’s position overall,” Plevris stressed.
The minister noted that the new legislative initiative will abolish the possibility of legalization after years of illegal residence and will make illegal residence a criminal offense with prison sentences.
“At the same time, we are introducing a bracelet for those whose asylum is rejected, in order to ensure voluntary departure.
For refugees who are actually entitled to international protection, the new framework will be based on their employment integration and not on provision of subsidies,” he noted.
![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/2025/08/21/greece-is-no-friendly-environment-for-illegal-migration-says-minister/&media=https://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/migrantsboat2.png&description="Greece is not being blackmailed and there is no friendly environment for illegal migration," Minister of Migration and Asylum, Thanos Plevri){kind=link}
This guy is just off the rails completely. It is obvious that despite his training as a lawyer that he either has a very poor grasp of law or, more likely, that he has no respect for the rule of law. This is a typical Far Right position — that politicians should decide whatever they like, and that the constraints set by constitutional provision, international law and EU law do not matter.
Let me tell Plevris, straight: if you want Greece to leave the EU and become some sort of North Korea, the OK. Tell that to the voters in the next election. And don’t think that because Hungary and Italy have got away, so far, with ugly far right xenophobia and illegal policies that Greece will also get away with it. Fascism has a long history in Italy and Hungary: Greeks are not supporters of fascist and neo-Nazi ideas.
I don’t know about that! Over here in Toronto I am aware of many far right Greeks. Golden Dawn had an office here. I know people that would like the junta back and don’t believe that anyone was killed or that the Polytechneio happened. The general swing to the right of the whole world scares me.
Yes, I know of junta supporters and Royalists. As far as the diaspora Greeks are concerned, the strongest support for Chryssi Avgi always came from Australian Greeks.
The probable explanation is that it has been observed globally that expatriate coommunities tend to be more right wing than the native voters. This is why manipulative right wing governments everywhere try to extend the franchise to overseas voters: they know that they will get a lot of votes, compared with the Left or the centre parties
I say good for Greece not wanting illegals , its about time