At the Thessaloniki International Fair, Greece’s Minister of Migration and Asylum, Thanos Plevris, announced that the government will enforce the strictest immigration policy to date, focusing on returns and stricter penalties for illegal entry.

Speaking at the Parapolitika Group pavilion in an interview with Parapolitika 90.1, Plevris said:

“Citizens are demanding even stricter measures instead of leaving loopholes. Under the Prime Minister’s guidance, we will follow a legally strict policy.”

“Return” as the Core Policy

Plevris underlined that the central principle of the new approach is return.

• Migrants entering illegally and having their asylum applications rejected will face 3–5 years in prison.
• Approved applicants will be integrated into the labor market.

“The doctrine is prison or return,” he said. “If you entered illegally and your asylum was denied, you either face five years in prison or return. But if you are granted asylum, you must have skills to join the workforce.”

Criticism of the Left’s Position

Responding to opposition leader Alexis Tsipras, who linked immigration to Greece’s demographic challenges, Plevris argued that demographics cannot be solved through migration.

“Greece is a homeland, not just a space,” he said. “Demographics is not about numbers — it’s not population replacement. Saying we need labor and bringing people to fill workforce gaps is one discussion. But presenting immigration as the solution to fewer Greeks being born is the disappearance of the Greek nation.”

He added that the Left “does not believe in what we call the national core,” accusing them of suggesting population replacement by bringing people from countries like Egypt, Sudan, Pakistan, or Afghanistan.

Bureaucracy and Legal Pathways

Plevris also admitted that efforts to establish legal migration pathways have not been successful, noting that some countries prefer citizens to travel illegally due to heavy bureaucracy. “This is an area where we must work harder,” he said.

Continuity with Government Policy Since 2019

Plevris stressed that the new measures are in line with the government’s migration policy under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis since 2019, which is now gaining traction at the European level.

“Our dominant policy is that those who do not qualify for asylum must return,” he said. “With this bill, we are increasing returns by criminalizing illegal stp