Greece asylum revocations target Syrians and Afghans amid EU pact pressure
Greece asylum revocations for Syrians and Afghans are leaving families uncertain as Athens tightens migration rules under EU pressure and new returns measures.
Bashir, a Syrian who has lived in Greece since 2014, received a notice asking him to restate why he should remain after having been granted asylum in 2015, part of a broader wave of Greece asylum revocations affecting hundreds of former beneficiaries. The move has unsettled families who have built lives, paid taxes and raised children in Greece while lawyers warn that conditions in Syria and Afghanistan remain volatile. Government officials frame the reviews as alignment with a tougher European Asylum and Migration Pact, but critics say the process is opaque and risks returning vulnerable people to danger.
Personal cases put human faces on policy
Three months ago Bashir and his wife welcomed a son, and he had recently bought tools to work independently as a metalworker before being issued a review notice. Other long-term residents such as Jihad, who has lived and worked legally in Greece since 2001, fear return because of political reprisals tied to past allegiances or expression. Lawyers handling these files say the men have clean records, contribute social security payments and support families, yet face uncertain outcomes under the revocation reviews.
Government orders and legal reopening of cases
Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris ordered reopening of asylum decisions earlier this year, prompting administrative reviews that can lead to revocation of protection status. Authorities have already revoked nearly 200 asylum grants in the last year and are examining dozens more, focusing on nationalities whose home-country conflicts Athens now characterises as diminished. Officials argue the reviews are a lawful application of temporary protection rules and a response to shifting conditions in applicants’ countries of origin.
New penalties and restrictions for rejected applicants
In 2025 Greece enacted tougher measures aimed at speeding returns, including ankle monitors for rejected applicants and steep fines or confinement for those who refuse deportation orders. The legislation also allows authorities to detain people in closed camps if they do not leave within short deadlines, a step the government has described as necessary to dissuade irregular migration. Humanitarian groups and opposition voices warn these measures could criminalize vulnerable migrants and place pressure on charities that assist asylum seekers.
Claims of safety in Syria and Afghanistan are disputed
Authorities have cited the formal end of the Syrian civil war in late 2024 and the Taliban’s consolidation in Afghanistan as reasons to reassess protection needs, but lawyers and rights monitors contest those assertions. Recent skirmishes in Syria, continued sporadic external strikes and localized insecurity mean many returning Syrians would confront risks, legal counsel says. Afghan returnees likewise face an environment where rights protections and safety guarantees are severely restricted, and advocates note that official declarations of stability do not equate to safe conditions on the ground.
Religious and political overtones in migration policy
Observers point to a string of measures and comments that suggest a preference for migrants from religiously or culturally aligned countries, citing public statements by senior ministers. Last year Greece briefly suspended asylum applications from mainly Muslim arrivals from Libya, and senior government remarks about preferring Christian or “religiously neutral” labour partners have drawn criticism. Rights groups say targeting asylum decisions by nationality or faith heightens the risk of discrimination and undermines international protection obligations.
European Pact pressures and Greece’s frontline position
Athens has framed its approach as preparation for the European Asylum and Migration Pact, which emphasises border controls and member-state responsibility for returns, but enforcement of returns at scale remains a practical and political challenge. Greece hosts nearly a million legally resident migrants in a population of roughly 10 million, including more than 137,000 international protection recipients, and memories of the 2015 influx intensify government concern about future pressures. Policy experts warn that without coordinated EU mechanisms for safe and orderly returns, national-level crackdowns will generate legal battles and humanitarian strains.
Legal advocates say voluntary returns and a small number of repatriations have encouraged authorities to expand reviews, while the government argues it is protecting national security and public order. The unfolding revocation process has already led to heightened anxiety among families who fear separation and to increased demand for legal aid as appeals begin.
Long-term residents affected by the reviews say they would prefer to remain in Greece or move to another safe country rather than return to places they consider unsafe, and several have indicated plans to challenge decisions in court. As Athens proceeds with revocations, the outcomes of individual cases will test the balance between national migration controls and Greece’s obligations under international asylum law, with consequences that could influence how other EU states implement the new pact.
