Plevris: Greece to Cut Migrant Benefits and Push Asylum Recipients Into Work

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Migration Minister Thanos Plevris has presented a tougher approach to migration, placing employment and integration at the centre of Greece’s policy while promising stricter action against illegal entry and migrant smuggling.

Greece is moving towards a migration model that places greater emphasis on employment for people granted international protection, while tightening the framework for those who remain in the country illegally.

Speaking in Parliament, Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris said the government’s approach was based on a clear distinction between illegal migration and organised legal migration designed to meet labour shortages.

Plevris said people granted asylum who choose to remain in Greece should be encouraged to enter the labour market rather than depend on state benefits.

“We are cutting benefits. Go and work, otherwise get up and leave Greece. The logic of ‘I feed him and provide for him’ is wrong,” Plevris said.

The government has previously outlined plans to reduce dependence on cash benefits by connecting beneficiaries of international protection with vocational training and employment opportunities in sectors facing labour shortages. These include agriculture, construction, industry and tourism.

Training migrants for jobs

Under the approach outlined by the government, accommodation facilities can also play a role in preparing people for employment, including through Greek language training, vocational programmes and links with employers.

The government says the objective is to help people who are entitled to remain in Greece become economically integrated rather than remaining dependent on state support.

This forms part of a broader policy that also seeks to expand legal migration channels where Greece has genuine labour shortages.

Greek legislation already provides a framework for the employment of third country nationals, with annual limits on the number of workers who can be admitted through employer invitation procedures.

Tougher penalties for migrant smuggling

Plevris also highlighted tougher penalties for migrant smuggling, including cases involving individuals working for non-governmental organisations.

The minister said the measures were not intended to criminalise the legitimate work of NGOs, but to target participation in organised smuggling networks.

The government is also moving away from direct awards of contracts to NGOs by the ministry, with services instead expected to be provided through competitive procedures following concerns raised by the Court of Audit regarding compliance with European rules.

Residence linked to employment

Another element of the government’s approach is the implementation of European rules concerning employment-based residence permits.

Plevris argued that where a residence permit has been granted specifically for employment, continued unemployment can affect the basis on which the permit was issued.

“The permit is given for reasons of employment. If there is no employment, there is no reason for residence,” he said.

The measures come as Greece continues to push for a migration system combining stricter controls on irregular migration with organised legal pathways for workers needed by the Greek economy.

Greece explores return centres outside the EU

Plevris has also disclosed that Greece is discussing the creation of return centres outside the European Union.

The proposal follows wider European discussions about processing and returning people whose asylum claims have been rejected.

Earlier this month, Plevris said Greece was in advanced discussions with an African country, alongside four other European states, over a possible arrangement for transferring people whose applications for international protection had been rejected. The stated target was to finalise an agreement during 2026, with the mechanism potentially becoming fully operational in the second half of 2027.

The government argues that stronger and more effective returns are essential to deterring irregular migration, while legal migration should remain available where there is a genuine economic need.

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