No deportation risk for irregular migrants getting vaccination

A bill allowing irregular migrants living in Greece to get vaccinated against Covid-19 without the fear of being deported is being introduced to a parliamentary committee on Monday.

The legislation, submitted by the Health Ministry, stipulates that third-country nationals or stateless persons residing without legal documents in Greece, or migrants with a pending deportation order cannot be expelled when they come forward for a coronavirus jab.

At the same time, migrants submitting their personal data for the issuance of a temporary social security number will be exempt from checks of their residence and work permits.

The bill also allows social services, community centers and the immigrant integration centers to issue temporary social security numbers without requiring the physical presence of the person making the request, as well as from other administrative structures of the general government.

The same bodies, as well as migrant identification camps, pre-departure and detention centers will be able to issue digital vaccination certificates.