Greece tightens immigration laws and Cyprus pushes the Syrians to return news

The steps of some European countries are accelerating to impose strict restrictions on immigration policies. While the Greek government announced its intention to tighten immigration laws and end the legal settlement path of irregular migrants, it was revealed. Cyprus On a plan to finance the return of Syrian refugees to their country, in a move described as the first of its kind in the country since the outbreak of the Syrian war in 2011.

In Athens, the Greek Minister of Immigration, McCis Foreides, announced that his country is in the process of canceling a legal clause that has been allowing irregular migrants to apply for residency after seven years of residency in the country, considering that this item “has encouraged illegal survival.”

In an interview with the local “Sky” network, Foreides said that the law in its current form “rewards those who disagree with the regime,” noting that the police Greece Last year, she suspended more than 74,000 irregular immigrants, who were able to deport only 2,500 of them, due to complications in verifying their identities and providing “false” statements from their countries of origin.

The minister revealed a new bill approved by the government on Wednesday, stipulating the tightening of the sanctions on those who enter or reside in the country illegally, and reaches imposing prison penalties of up to 5 years, in addition to extending the administrative detention period to two years instead of 18 months.

Foreides expected that the law will present to Parliament next June, as the government will have a comfortable majority, pointing out that about 55 to 65,000 people enter Greece illegally annually, only half of them get the right to asylum.

Despite these measures, the minister indicated that the government will be shown next July “new rules that encourage legal immigration,” noting that the local labor market needs nearly 200,000 workers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpwyqbhwda

In Nicosia, the Cypriot Minister of Immigration, Nicholas Yuanids, announced a new program that begins next June, aiming to encourage Syrian refugees to voluntarily return to their country in exchange for financial incentives.

Yuanids said, during a press conference today, Thursday, that the program was prepared in coordination with European UnionAnd includes Syrian families who withdraw requests for their asylum or give up international protection, while allowing a family member (one adult) to stay in Cyprus for a period of two years with a work permit, in exchange for leaving the rest of the family to Syria.

Under the program, the remaining partner in Cyprus will be granted 2000 euros, while each leaving child will get 1,000 euros. The program will be entered into implementation on June 2 and will continue until the end of next August.

The Cypriot authorities say that 2,500 Syrians withdrew their asylum applications or abandoned the protection situation they enjoyed, and that about 2,400 returned to their homes.

The Greek and Cypriot steps reflect an upward trend between countries European Union To reduce immigration flows, especially from the conflict areas in the Middle East And Africa.

Athens and Nicosia, which are on the front lines of migration across the Mediterranean, are facing increasing internal pressure with the high number of migrants and refugees, and the intensification of political controversy from immigration in light of economic and structural crises.

The European Union has pledged to support its member states that are on the front lines of immigration, by providing financing and enhancing cooperation in the areas of border control, voluntary restoration and integration, but the criticisms are still rising from human rights organizations that some of these policies may violate principles International law Humanity, especially with regard to returning refugees to unsafe countries.