Migration Minister Thanos Plevris said during a speech to Parliament that under the new migration bill, migrants who are not entitled to asylum will face either voluntary return or detention.

“We will no longer allow some to stall and to obtain residence permits after seven years of presence in Greece. The only choice they will have is whether they will go to prison for five years without suspension or whether they will return back,” he said.

“They must know the consequences, that those who told them that Greece would be friendly deceived them,” Plevris added, emphasizing that entering the country illegally is a criminal offense.

Moreover, Plevris said that those who eventually obtain refugee status will have to quickly enter the workforce and not live on allowances.

“You did not come here to Europe to obtain refugee status so that the European or the Greek taxpayer feeds you,” Plevris said.