The Greek Ministry of Migration & Asylum tabled Friday an amendment to a draft bill of the Labor Ministry that foresees granting a three-year stay and work permits to migrants who have entered the country illegally.

This will qualify roughly 30,000 undocumented migrants from non-EU countries who have illegally entered the country but are still living and working in Greece for a minimum of three years.

According to a press release by the Ministry of Migration the draft bill titled ‘Professional Insurance Reform’, is being processed by a parliament committee with some additional conditions that will define who is eligible for the permit:

– people who have a job offer from an employer in Greece under the status of dependent labor or provision of work services

– people who resided in Greece until November 30, 2023, without a residence permit

– people who continue to reside in the country beyond the above date

– people who have completed at least three years of continuous residence in Greece

The deadline for applying for this permit has been set to December 31, 2024.

The permit will only be given to those who have a job offer and prove that they are working and will be revoked when employment is interrupted for any reason.

The country has been at the epicenter of the migration crisis since 2015 with almost a million of refugees crossing the Greek borders and fleeing their war-stricken countries.