kathimerini.gr
Greece Halts Deportation Law Due to Lack of Detention Facilities
Greece's "return or jail" immigration policy, enacted in August with law 5226, is suspended due to insufficient detention capacity, as confirmed by the Asylum Service director.
- What is the immediate impact of the insufficient detention facilities on Greece's new immigration law 5226?
- The Greek Asylum Service has suspended issuing deportation decisions under the new law due to a lack of detention spaces. This effectively halts the "return or jail" policy, as thousands lack legal asylum and there is no place to detain them.
- How many asylum seekers are affected by this suspension, and what is the estimated number of deportations prevented?
- In the first half of 2025, 4,719 of 16,590 asylum applications were rejected. With 27,015 pending applications, approximately 9,000 rejections were anticipated under the new law. The suspension prevents the potential detention of roughly 5,000 people from the first half of 2025 plus the 9,000 anticipated rejections.
- What are the potential long-term implications of this suspension, and what alternative solutions might be considered?
- The suspension highlights the impracticality of the "return or jail" approach without sufficient detention facilities. Long-term solutions may involve expanding detention capacity or revising the law to focus on alternative measures like expedited deportations to countries with repatriation agreements, or strengthening border controls to prevent future influxes.
Cognitive Concepts
Framing Bias
The article presents a neutral framing of the situation, objectively reporting on the challenges faced in implementing the "return or jail" policy. While the headline isn't explicitly provided, the article's structure focuses on the practical difficulties of implementing the new law, highlighting the lack of infrastructure and the subsequent suspension of deportation orders. This balanced approach avoids overtly favoring any specific viewpoint.
Language Bias
The language used is largely neutral and objective. Terms like "deportation orders" and "lack of infrastructure" are factual and unbiased. The article avoids emotionally charged language or loaded terms that could sway reader opinion.
Bias by Omission
While the article provides a comprehensive overview of the situation, potential omissions might include perspectives from those directly affected by the policy (asylum seekers). Also, the long-term effects of the policy's suspension, and alternate solutions, aren't extensively explored. However, given the article's length and focus on immediate practicalities, these omissions are arguably justifiable.
Sustainable Development Goals
The article highlights the failure of the "return or jail" policy (law 5226) due to insufficient detention facilities. This leads to a deadlock in the asylum process, undermining the rule of law and potentially violating the rights of asylum seekers. The suspension of deportation decisions further points to a lack of capacity to manage the situation effectively, indicating a weakness in institutional mechanisms for managing migration.