05.02.2026 09:51
Greece's Minister of Migration and Asylum, Thanos Plevris, stated that numerous mosques will be closed in the capital Athens, where there is officially only one mosque, due to being "unauthorized," and the residence permits of the immigrants managing these mosques will be revoked.
The Greek Minister of Migration and Asylum, Thanos Plevris, stated in a speech at the Parliament that the residence permit of a Bangladeshi migrant managing a mosque in Athens has been revoked and that the said place of worship has been closed on the grounds of being "unlicensed."
"DEPORTATIONS AND RESIDENCE PERMIT CANCELLATIONS WILL CONTINUE"
Additionally, Minister Plevris expressed that a deportation decision has been made regarding the Bangladeshi migrant.
Plevris indicated that the reason for the cancellation of the residence permit is the law that came into effect in 2025, which foresees the cancellation of residence permits for migrants who violate the laws, and stated that similar mosque closures and residence permit cancellations will be applied to other "unlicensed" mosques in coordination with the relevant ministries.
MOSQUES OPENED BY MUSLIMS ARE IN UNLICENSED PLACE OF WORSHIP STATUS
The first official mosque in Athens, which has been the only European capital without a mosque for years, was opened in 2020 in the Votanikos district.
In the city, where tens of thousands of Muslims are estimated to live, it is the only official mosque open for worship, so Muslims continue their prayers in mosques they have opened in various neighborhoods with their own means; however, some of these mosques are classified as "unlicensed places of worship" for bureaucratic reasons.