Greek migration and asylum policy enforcement

The Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum has taken several administrative and legal actions regarding migration management and asylum status.

In early September, the Ministry denounced a video circulating online regarding unaccompanied minor migrants, labeling it ‘absolutely misleading’. Officials stated the footage depicted a facility run by a Spanish NGO that is not under Ministry jurisdiction or taxpayer funding. The Ministry reported that the video appeared to show adults using a facility intended for minors to spread false information. Minister Thanos Pleuris announced a referral to the Prosecutor’s Office to investigate potential criminal offenses related to the footage.

By mid-September, the Ministry shifted focus to legal challenges regarding asylum status. Minister Thanos Plevris ordered legal services to appeal 20 decisions by the Independent Second Instance Committees of the Asylum Authority that had overturned the revocation of asylum for certain Syrian citizens. The Ministry argued that these individuals, some of whom have convictions for crimes such as human trafficking and drug trafficking, no longer meet the requirements for international protection. While the Asylum Authority cited economic conditions and military service in Syria as reasons to maintain status, the Ministry is seeking to exhaust all legal remedies to facilitate returns to countries of origin.