Greece’s parliament has passed a new migration law that introduces stricter penalties for facilitating the irregular entry, exit, or stay of migrants, including minimum 10-year prison sentences and fines starting at €50,000 in cases involving members of NGOs registered with the Ministry of Migration and Asylum.
The legislation, known as the “Promotion of Legal Migration Policies” bill (Law 5275/2026), was adopted on February 5, 2026, with support from the ruling New Democracy party; opposition parties voted against it. It came into effect shortly afterward.
The Greek government states that the law strengthens measures against human trafficking and migrant smuggling, while promoting legal migration channels—such as recruiting workers from Asia to fill labor needs in areas like tourism, construction, and agriculture—and ensuring that individuals who enter or stay irregularly do not obtain legal status, facing arrest, detention, and return.
Civil society organizations have raised concerns about the provisions. Joint statements from more than 50 NGOs (with some reports citing 56 or over 70) during January and February 2026 highlighted issues including:
- Designation of NGO membership as an aggravating circumstance for certain offenses under Articles 24 and 25 of the Migration Code, elevating them to felonies with penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment and significant fines.
- Authority for the Migration Minister to remove an NGO from the official registry based on criminal charges against a member, even without a conviction.
- Potential implications for freedom of association, proportionality, and compliance with human rights standards, as noted by organizations such as Human Rights Watch, Refugee Support Aegean, UNHCR, and others.
The law has prompted discussions on its balance between migration control and the protection of humanitarian activities.
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