Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Thursday that Greece is “under fire” for a law targeting aid groups, following a “damning critique” published by five UN experts on Tuesday. The experts wrote a letter to the Greek government warning that the law would unduly restrict the work of non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
The UN experts, led by Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, contend that the law criminalizes the defence of human rights and creates “de jure discrimination” against aid workers. There are several effects of the law that spark their concerns. First, membership in an NGO will now be deemed an aggravating factor for migration-related criminal offences. This means that rights defenders will receive greater punishment for being a member of an NGO. Second, the migration minister is empowered to deregister NGOs without a court process. Overall, the experts warn that this legal “ambiguity is likely to generate a chilling effect on humanitarian actors.” This means that people providing essential aid may be apprehensive about doing so for fear of facing criminal charges.
The new law is known as the “Promotion of Legal Migration Policies” bill, and it was adopted by Greece’s parliament on February 5, 2026. This law comes with what HRW has called “draconian penalties.” For example, members of NGOs will face a minimum of 10 years imprisonment, along with a €50,000 fine if they facilitate illegal entry or exit.
These critiques are echoed by the NGOs to be impacted by the law. Over 50 Greek organizations released a joint statement in January condemning the changes, calling the government effort “unfair, illegal, and irrational” and calling for the provisions to be withdrawn.
Eva Cossé, Senior Researcher for Europe, ties these critiques to a broader set of policies, writing:
The new legislation and the UN experts’ critiques of the law underline what we have documented at Human Rights Watch: Greek authorities are engaged in a systematic effort to smear and intimidate those who provide lifesaving humanitarian assistance to people on the move; who report on the government’s violent pushbacks against migrants; and who seek accountability for the mounting deaths of migrants and asylum seekers at borders … Greece is fostering a climate of fear and undermining the rule of law…
A press release from the Ministry of Migration and Asylum outlines the key changes made and the stated intentions behind them. The Ministry explains the main objectives of the law from the government’s perspective, writing:
The new regulations that were passed establish a clear, fast and functional framework for legal immigration, with less bureaucracy, permanent residence permits, flexible employment procedures and targeted attraction of workers and scientists who meet the real needs of the Greek economy [translated from Greek].
HRW calls on the Greek government to “heed the warning” and declare these provisions invalid. The government should also seek to safeguard civil society “as a cornerstone of democracy, including for those defending the rights of people on the move.”