Speaking during a meeting of parliament’s public administration committee, where a bill on ‘legal immigration’ is being discussed, Plevris referred to the recent revocation of a Bangladeshi national’s residence permit after he was found to have been operating an unlicensed place of worship in the Agios Nikolaos area of Athens.

According to the account presented, the case began with a complaint. Police officers from the Agios Panteleimonas police department located the premises in Agios Nikolaos, sealed it, and arrested the man. A court sentenced him to prison for operating a place of worship without a permit.

After the ministry was informed, Plevris said he ordered the immediate implementation of a new provision so that the case would not be limited to criminal penalties but would also have immigration consequences. The ministry revoked the man’s legal residence status and initiated the process of issuing a deportation order, which it said was carried out on the morning of the same day.

The decision was based on article 28 of law 5224/2025, which provides that operating a place of worship without the required permit may lead not only to criminal sanctions, including imprisonment or a fine, but also to the revocation of a residence permit for immigrants involved in operating such premises.

In this case, a deportation order was issued without a deadline for voluntary departure.

The ministry said the minister has requested immediate information on each similar case and the use of expedited procedures to revoke residence permits for immigrants who operate unlicensed places of worship. It added that, alongside police and judicial proceedings, the ‘immigration aspect’ will now be ‘automatically activated’ in each case.

Plevris said:

‘What happened in Agios Nikolaos will happen everywhere. In all illegal mosques, with a parallel revocation of the legal documents of those who operate them. In collaboration with the relevant ministries, the illegal mosques will be sealed and those involved will be deported.’

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