[AP]
Greece’s new migration bill, described as the strictest of its kind in Europe, was presented Tuesday by Greek Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris at an informal meeting of EU interior and migration ministers in Copenhagen.
The bill, currently under public consultation, proposes prison sentences for illegal entry into Greece, restricted access to state benefits and electronic monitoring for migrants who cross the border irregularly.
Plevris said the goal is to create stronger deterrents against unlawful migration and to reinforce the protection of the EU’s external borders.
He also supported the idea of establishing closed reception centers outside the EU and stressed the need to improve the rate of migrant returns to countries of origin.
Plevris held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Austria, France and Germany, as well as with officials from Frontex, the EU’s border and coast guard agency.