Greece to tighten rules on NGOs

Greece plans to tighten rules governing nongovernmental organizations active in migration by removing groups from the official NGO Registry if they fail to meet new requirements, Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris is expected to announce, according to information obtained by Kathimerini.

Under the upcoming measures, NGOs could be struck from the registry for three main reasons: if they promote their own migration policy that opposes the government’s, if they legally challenge decisions such as administrative detentions or asylum suspensions, or if funds received are found to be misused.

Removal from the registry does not dissolve an NGO but cuts off access to state-controlled migrant facilities. Since the registry’s creation in 2020 under then-minister Notis Mitarakis, only NGOs officially registered – currently around 100 – have been allowed access. Losing registry status, therefore, severely limits contact with migrants and curtails organizational influence.

Officials say that despite most NGOs “doing good work,” some have displayed what they describe as increasingly anti-institutional behavior, including advising migrants to defy state decisions and laws. Recent legal actions by two NGOs challenging asylum suspensions accelerated the ministry’s decision to move forward.

In early September, Plevris intends to establish a working group to revise entry and stay criteria for the registry. At the same time, the ministry will launch financial audits of NGOs in the registry that participate in funded programs. These spot checks aim to ensure that money, including substantial European Union funds, is used for its intended purposes. The initiative has the backing of the Prime Minister’s Office and is coordinated with Brussels, according to ministry sources.

Separately, the ministry is drafting new migration legislation. It will classify illegal migration as a “criminal offense” and abolish the provision that allowed individuals to gain legal status after seven years of undocumented residence. The proposed framework would also introduce electronic monitoring bracelets for rejected asylum seekers to ensure timely departures.

For legal migration, the government is preparing bilateral agreements with countries such as Egypt and Bangladesh to accelerate lawful entry and make it more effective than irregular channels. 

Kathimerini