A drastic reduction in benefits and benefits to immigrants, the introduction of innovative training and labor integration programs, structural changes to the hospitality centers, and new flexible visas for students, high -specific executives and workers from third countries are expected to promote the ministry. The arrangements of the new bill on legal immigration will be presented by the Minister responsible Thanos Plevris Probably at the next cabinet to be submitted to Parliament next October. The central objective is to function a coherent institutional framework for legal and illegal immigration.
A catalyst that will determine the achievement of the ambitious goal is the complete harmonization of the new provisions with the recently voted arrangements for the criminalizing the stay of illegal immigrants in Greece. However, official figures show that strict policy in the field of illegal immigration attributes, as flows are significantly reduced, and the refunds are also encouraging. In the last month, the Ministry of Immigration has implemented over 1,000 deportations, leading more and more EU countries. To accept the doctrine of a rigorous but fair immigration policy that the Greek government has been steadily implemented since 2019. Under these facts, the next bet on the prime minister and the Minister of Immigration is to strengthen the legal paths of immigration and the labor integration of those who are entitled.
Decoration of structures
Reportedly, Mr Plevris’ new plan for the legal immigration It aims to more properly utilize the refugee potential but also to more effectively integrate it into the labor market by redirecting funds from granting programs in training actions. The ambitious planning provides for the breakage of hosting structures into two central categories.
The first category will include structures that will accommodate exclusively applicants who have refugee profile And so they have a strong chance of getting asylum, while the rest will place illegal immigrants for expulsion. Ministry sources explain that host services can make the first sorting as they have increased experience and accuracy of 80% -90% estimate whether applicants qualify for asylum. The hosting structures of people with a refugee profile will also record potential skills, knowledge and work experience.
The design then predicts that people who receive asylum will not live exclusively with the benefits provided by the state and the NGOs, but will participate in educational programs to acquire work skills and to integrate directly by professional sectors that have increased labor needs. “We are changing the philosophy of programs for those who are entitled to international protection so that immigrants can quickly join the labor market. They will be given the opportunity, every tool and support to enter the labor market that is highly needed. Anyone who received asylum and stays in Greece will not live with the money of taxpayers, will work, “Mr Plevris said in” THEMA “.
Acceleration
At the same time, the new leadership of the ministry is expected to promote provisions on the lifting of bureaucratic barriers blocking renewal of residence permits. Reportedly, about 290,000 applications for immigrants are pending in the competent offices, most of whom have been staying and working in the country for over 10 years. The third chapter of the bill focuses on the policy of attracting workers from third countries for a specified period, as it has been found that the current framework has been short -circuited by bureaucratic obstacles and delays. The arrangements for accelerating procedures will primarily concern the consular authorities and the relevant transnational agreements. The central objective is to strengthen the critical diplomatic authorities that Greece has in countries that can offer workforce to achieve the best possible choice of workers. To the ambitious goals of the ministry is to reversate the immigration flows to have a positive balance of legal arrivals. “There will be special forecasts in the new transnational agreements to motivate third countries to strengthen the legal paths of immigration and at the same time accept returns of illegals in Greece,” says a high -ranking source from the ministry.
At the same time, the radical expansion of the framework to provide visa with the introduction of new licenses (for studies, the use of medical services, highly specialization, skills, targeted) that will be given by immediate and flexible procedures. Ministry officials reportedly believe that the operation of non -state universities in Greece will dramatically increase student visas applications. For this reason, they plan to issue the relevant licenses by simple procedure, similar to that followed for tourism. These visas will concern all the time, without the need for renewal, as it is today.
Licenses for specialized high -tech executives will be very long, with a fast track visa issuance related to strategic interest investment (eg Greek, pharmaceutical industry, defense industry, etc.). In addition, interventions are expected to the consular authorities to accelerate the issuance of workers’ residence permits. Especially for countries from which the majority of illegal immigrants (eg Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt) come from, it will be predicted that the flow rate of legal immigration will depend on the number of illegals they will receive for return.
Reduction
At the same time, the data gathered by the competent departments of the Ministry show a sharp decline in migratory flows in all Aegean islands, which is attributed to the deterrent grid component of legislative interventions to tighten the migrant policy and day -to -day strokes.
Especially in Crete, the reduction in arrivals reaches 81%, mainly due to the Plevris amendment to suspend asylum to applicants entering the coasts of Libya and North Africa. Of the 3,624 people who entered the number last July, the number fell to 689 in August, while in the first ten days of September, arrivals amounted to just 75. In Lesvos, illegal arrivals decreased by 57%, as 556 in August 2024 fell to 238. In Chios, from 742 illegal immigrants last year they were limited to 400 this year, with a decrease reaching 46%. In Samos from 1,045 illegal arrivals in 2024 this year 590 were recorded by 44%. Correspondingly, in the Dodecanese the reduction of illegal flows compared to the same period last year is 71% (3,059 in 2024 versus 878 in 2025).
It should be noted that ministry executives are awaiting further reduction in flows and increasing voluntary departures, as arrangements that turned into a criminal offense have already been implemented on the criminal offense on the eve of people who did not receive asylum. Specifically, last Friday, a circular was issued calling for the competent services to inform all guests in the structures “on the new legislative framework and, primarily, that if their asylum application is rejected, they face 24 months administrative detention and a prison sentence of 2 to 5 years old”.
25,000 labor hands each year
According to his estimates ministry of immigrationthe new doctrine of Plevris on the redistribution of funds from the logic of benefits in the strategy of labor training can immediately supply professional sectors with 100,000-120,000 potential. This tank may be feedback with up to 25,000 refugees A year plus those who come to Greece through the new legal routes of immigration. According to official data, in Greece today 508,499 third -country nationals and 127,000 beneficiaries of international protection (permanent and temporary) are legally resident.
The majority of legal immigrants (in total 508,499) come from Albania (268,964) followed by China (38,596), Pakistan (26,722), Georgia (19,678) and Bangladesh (16,498). During the period 2021 – July 2025 1,039,787 requests for residence permit (382,626 initial administration and 657,161 renewal). Of these, 671,656 licenses were issued, 79,444 rejected, 1,156 were recalled and 287,531 are pending. Only in July 2024 – July 2025 there were 276,954 requests (115,373 initial and 161,581 renewal).
On the other hand, there is no accurate data on the number of illegally left -wing immigrants. Ministry estimates say they do not exceed 70,000. Support their appreciation in the fact that the Keridis amendmentwhich enabled illegals to be legalized as long as they prove three years of stay in the country, led about 40,000 immigrants to file an application. With the new framework, this category of immigrants has two options: voluntary retirement or imprisonment.
Thanos Plevris on theme
“Anyone who gets asylum and stays in Greece will not live with taxpayers’ money, he will work”
“We are changing the philosophy of programs for those who are entitled to international protection so that immigrants can quickly join the labor market. They will be given the opportunity, every tool and support to enter the labor market that is highly needed. Anyone who received asylum and stays in Greece will not live with taxpayers’ money will work. “