Greece reconsiders thousands of asylum cases

ATHENS

Greece has embarked on a sweeping overhaul of its migration policy, launching a process that could revoke the asylum status of thousands of Syrian and Afghan refugees.

The government in Athens, which has vowed to make the country unwelcoming for those deemed “undesirable,” has also openly announced that it will prioritize workers from predominantly Christian countries when addressing labor shortages.

Arguing that the wars in Syria and Afghanistan have effectively ended, Greek authorities have since February reopened more than 1,200 refugee cases with the aim of reassessing and potentially revoking their protection status, media reports said on June 1.

Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris outlined the government’s new migration criteria during a parliamentary session.

“Certain countries have values that are incompatible with ours, and religion lies at the root of this difference. Radical Islam, in particular, represents a risk for us,” Plevris said.

The minister added that Greece intends to recruit the workforce needed for its economic development from countries with predominantly Christian or secular societies, including the Philippines, Armenia and Georgia.

Under the new legislation, asylum seekers whose applications are rejected will be given 14 days to leave the country.

Those who fail to comply could face a fine of up to 5,000 euros ($5,800), imprisonment for between two and five years in detention and removal centers and mandatory GPS monitoring.

More than 137,000 refugees currently residing in Greece are living under the constant threat of deportation, as authorities increasingly argue that conditions in their home countries no longer justify international protection.