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A surge in migrants landing on Crete this summer has diminished, but Greece is hoping to deter future undocumented immigration.
Sept. 2, 2025, 5:48 p.m. ET
In another sign that European countries are increasingly cracking down on undocumented migrants, Greece’s Parliament passed a law early on Wednesday imposing prison terms for those who remain in the country after they are rejected for asylum.
The law, which was pushed by Greece’s conservative prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, introduces some of the toughest penalties in Europe for failed asylum seekers. Undocumented migrants who are denied asylum and do not leave the country within 14 days will be subject to prison terms of two to five years, steep fines and swifter deportations.
Greece’s move comes amid a broader effort across Europe to close off borders to migrants by turning them away at points of entry, making it easier to deport them or sending them to other countries and rolling back protections if they stay.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Iliana Magra contributed reporting from Athens.
Motoko Rich is the incoming New York Times bureau chief in Rome, where she will also cover the Vatican.
Niki Kitsantonis is a freelance correspondent for The Times based in Athens. She has been writing about Greece for 20 years, including more than a decade of coverage for The Times.
