HUMAN rights organisations called on Greek politicians to vote against government plans next week that seek to criminalise humanitarian workers.

Greece’s migration ministry submitted a new Bill to parliament last Saturday that introduces new measures targeting solidarity initiatives and NGOs working with refugees.

Any members of an NGO group deemed by the Greek authorities to be facilitating illegal entry or exit could face up to 10 years in prison and a €50,000 (£43,000) fine.

Greece’s migration minister will also be able to remove any NGO from the country’s official registry — preventing it from operating there at all — if even one of its members faces a criminal prosecution.

Human Rights Watch said: “The law should protect those who provide humanitarian assistance, rather than providing authorities with tools to prosecute them. Parliament should reject these abusive provisions and ensure that any new legislation protects civic space.”

The international medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said: “The Greek authorities have spent years being warned by the European Commission, the Council of Europe, and the United Nations, to protect civil society actors who support migrants and refugees. They did the opposite.”