Migrants on deportation list to wear ankle monitors, Greek government says

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ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Migrants in Greece with rejected asylum claims will be required to wear ankle monitors as part of planned measures to speed up deportations, a government official announced Monday.

Migration Minister Thanos Plevris said the measure is set to be implemented before the end of the year under reforms that would criminalize noncompliance with deportation orders.

“The use of electronic monitoring will make it clear that the options have narrowed,” Plevris told state-run ERT radio.

The tougher regulations, including mandatory jail terms for defying deportation orders, will be submitted to parliament next month after a summer delay caused by a spike in migrant arrivals from Libya to the island of Crete.

Plevris said electronic monitoring would be enforced during a 30-day compliance period granted to migrants after asylum claims are rejected and appeals exhausted. He added that the government is also considering a deportation bonus of of 2,000 euros ($2,300) for those who willingly comply.

Hard-line migration policies introduced by Greece’s conservative government — including a recent ban on asylum claims for migrants arriving by sea from North Africa — have drawn criticism from the Council of Europe and human rights groups.