Trending 
Greece’s migration ministry says a new bill submitted to parliament would allow courts to hand down sentences of up to life imprisonment for people convicted of migrant smuggling, while migrants found guilty of related offences could be directly expelled from the country.
The ministry, in a statement on Saturday, said the proposed law is aimed at tightening penalties for the illegal trafficking of migrants.
“Penalties for the illegal trafficking of migrants will be toughened at all levels,” it said.
The bill would also criminalise assistance given by migrants with legal residence to undocumented migrants.
Prison terms would be increased for members of non-governmental organisations prosecuted for involvement in migrant trafficking.
Greece was a major entry point into Europe during the 2015 migration crisis, and several court cases are currently underway against aid workers and migrants accused of smuggling.
Migration Minister Thanos Plevris said parliament is expected to debate the bill next week.
The proposals have drawn criticism from civil society groups. In a joint statement, 56 NGOs, including the Greek branches of Doctors of the World and Doctors Without Borders, warned that some provisions could lead to prison sentences of up to 10 years and heavy fines for aid workers.
They also criticised clauses that would allow the migration ministry to remove an organisation from the official registry and suspend its activities based only on charges against one of its members, without a court conviction.
The bill comes shortly after a court on the island of Lesbos acquitted 24 aid workers, including Syrian activist Sarah Mardini, who had been accused of facilitating illegal entry into Greece.
They faced up to 20 years in prison after being charged with “forming a criminal organisation” and “illegally facilitating the entry into Greece of foreign nationals from third countries.”
The ministry stated that the legislation includes measures to encourage legal migration in addition to tougher penalties.
These measures include loosening hiring regulations for non-EU workers, establishing a new visa for high-tech workers, and expanding training programmes for refugees and asylum seekers in industries experiencing labour shortages.
