Greece

Advocacy for Greece

What’s Happening? 

Greece is a primary destination for people seeking refuge in the European Union and has received billions of Euros in funding to receive them. But conditions in its camps and reception centers are inhumane. Stringent laws and regulations hinder efforts to provide services to refugees and enable them to unite with family. Greek border guards and the Hellenic coast guard have forcibly expelled people seeking refuge. In 2025, Greece implemented a pause on processing of asylum applications and passed a law that imposed fines and detention on irregular migrants, eliminated the ability of irregular migrants to apply for residency after seven years, and required rejected asylum seekers to leave or face imprisonment.

What Must Be Done? 

Refugees International is calling on policymakers to ensure access to asylum for people seeking refuge in Greece, humane reception conditions, early and comprehensive integration efforts, and access for (rather than criminalization of) groups contributing to the response.