Greece - September 2025

On 5 September, President Katerina Sakellaropoulou signed a migration law that imposes stricter penalties on rejected asylum seekers. Under the new legislation, rejected asylum seekers must leave Greece within 14 days, down from the previous 7-30 days. Failure to comply now carries criminal penalties of 2-5 years’ imprisonment, replacing the earlier administrative detention of up to 12 months. For undocumented migrants, the maximum detention period has increased from 18 to 24 months, and fines for illegal entry have risen from EUR 1,500-3,000 to EUR 10,000. The law also abolishes the former pathway to legal residency for those who had lived in Greece for seven or more years. Human rights groups warn that the measures are draconian and may exacerbate human rights violations against migrants. The law follows a controversial 90-day pause on asylum processing for North African sea arrivals announced in August by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, leaving new arrivals subject to immediate detention or return. 

Sources: The Guardian, Reuters, Balkan Insight, Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum, Al Jazeera (1), Al Jazeera (2), Human Rights Watch, Hellenic Republic, European Database of Asylum Law