In yet another operation targeting an illegal place of worship in central Athens, police authorities acted this time in the area of Agios Panteleimonas, where a mosque operating without a license was discovered and a foreign national from Bangladesh was arrested under the expedited “in flagrante” procedure, despite holding a residence permit.

According to information, the case concerns a premises in the area of Fylis and Folegandrou streets, where the Hellenic Police carried out the prescribed actions for the unlawful operation of a place of worship. The procedure followed is now the “standard” one in similar cases: arrest of the foreign national who was operating the site under the summary procedure, sealing of the premises by the competent authorities, and then initiation of administrative measures concerning the individual’s residence status.

This development is part of the policy being implemented after the relevant legislative interventions by the Ministry of Migration and Asylum. As the minister, Thanos Plevris, has already pointed out, in cases where foreign nationals are found operating illegal places of worship, the process to revoke their residence permits and issue a deportation order is activated.

Based on the same information, following the arrest by the Police, the next step is to inform the competent services so that the administrative procedure can begin for the revocation of his legal residence status and his removal from the country.

The Agios Panteleimonas case adds to a series of similar actions by the authorities, aiming — as government sources emphasize — to put a stop to the operation of illegal places of worship, particularly in areas of central Athens where the phenomenon has been repeatedly recorded in recent years.

It is also recalled that at the beginning of the month, another Bangladeshi national was arrested in a similar case and placed under deportation status after his residence permit was revoked.