Today, the bill on legal migration is being brought to the plenary. The Ministry of Migration and Asylum states that these new regulations as well serve the aim of a modern migration policy, that serves development, strengthens social cohesion, protects legality and safeguards the rule of law.
According to Politico, the bill has a dual character: on the one hand it facilitates the hiring of tens of thousands of migrants from South Asia to work in sectors where there is need (e.g. agriculture, construction), while on the other it imposes strict sanctions on migrants who, according to the government, have entered the country “illegally”.
“The government seeks to appear tough on migration issues, but it has to pass this specific bill because of the serious shortage of labour force in key sectors of the economy […] Knowing that the hiring of migrants will create dissatisfaction among some of its supporters, to appease them, it has included strict measures against those who entered the country illegally,” Politico comments.
The opposition accuses the government of ignoring the migrants who are already in the country, adopting “far-right rhetoric”.
Regulations are being promoted that provide for the deportation of children who arrived unaccompanied and attended Greek schools, the removal of the residence permit of those who remain unemployed for 3–6 months, and the deregistration of NGOs when it is established that they help migrants enter Greece.
At the same time, automatic renewal of residence permits is instituted for “safe” categories, such as dependent employment, the procedures for the secondment/recruitment (metaklisi) of workers from third countries are simplified, and a fast-track procedure is instituted for workers in large public works and strategic investments.
Sources: APE-MPE, ERT, Politico
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