Greece jails NGOs over illegal immigration

The Greek law that sends illegal immigration NGOs to prison

While Spain negotiates the distribution of migrant minors and subsidises hundreds of organisations, Greece has reportedly taken the incivil route. It is claimed that NGOs collaborating with the irregular entry of people into the Hellenic country are banned and can end up behind bars. The claim, spread through a video circulating on social media, has peine the controversy over the role of these organisations.

The video in question, the work of commentator Fernando Paz, has been fiercely contested. Paz is said to be a well-known Holocaust denier and admirer of the Hitler regime, which casts doubt on the reliability of the information. But beyond the source, the argument resonates with part of public opinion: that many NGOs are, in fact, a highly profitable business subsidised with public money.

In the Spanish case, there is talk of a web of clientelist networks and subsidies that benefit the extractive pogre movement as well as the Church. The suspicion of human trafficking disguised as humanitarian work hangs over the sector. And some recall that countries such as China, Russia or Iran do not allow boats carrying migrants to enter their territory.

Meanwhile, border crises keep occurring in Spain, such as those in Ceuta, and some argue that serious measures will only be taken once the problem directly affects ordinary citizens. Will Spain ever adopt a model like the Greek one? For now, the mere idea of punishing workers at these NGOs with 15 years in prison is already gaining ground among those who consider them "organised mafias".