Greece's 'Operation ENTOS' and its Scope

Since late 2025, Greece has initiated a comprehensive series of police operations, collectively known as 'Operation ENTOS' (meaning 'from within'), primarily targeting informal settlements across the country. These operations, which have reportedly involved numerous raids and a substantial number of law enforcement officers, are officially presented by Greek authorities as a strategic response to organized crime and a means to reinforce public order. The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) has documented at least 76 raids over a six-month period, involving 473 officers and targeting 152 Romani communities. This frequency translates to more than one raid per week nationwide, marking what the ERRC describes as the most extensive anti-Roma police operation in decades.

For residents in areas such as Nea Zoi, an informal neighborhood near Aspropyrgos, these operations often commence in the pre-dawn hours with surveillance drones, followed by the deployment of K-9 units, tactical police, and officers in riot gear. These forces reportedly block access roads, establish perimeters, and enter homes, all under the stated objective of crime prevention and public safety. While authorities frame these actions as necessary for maintaining the rule of law and preventing the existence of 'special zones' outside legal oversight, critics argue that the pattern of these operations points to a more complex issue involving the criminalization of Romani life and a convergence of migration control, border security, and domestic policing.

The 'Preventive Policing' Model and its Terminology

A notable aspect of 'Operation ENTOS' is the language employed by authorities. Official Greek police briefings reportedly avoid using the term 'Roma,' opting instead for phrases such as 'socially homogeneous groups' and 'hotspots of illegality.' This linguistic approach is seen by some as a deliberate strategy to circumvent anti-discrimination legislation while still targeting specific communities. This method is not unique to Greece; similar legislative tactics have been observed in other European nations. For instance, Slovenia has been criticized for criminalizing 'illegal gatherings,' a provision reportedly used disproportionately against Romani neighborhoods, and Italy's security decrees have been accused of targeting homeless Romani women. These examples illustrate a broader trend where neutral terminology is used to frame ethnic targeting within the discourse of public order, potentially creating a legal framework for collective punishment that is difficult to challenge on grounds of discrimination.

Blurred Lines: Internal Policing and Border Enforcement

Across Europe, there is a perceived increasing convergence between internal policing and border enforcement strategies. This trend has been accelerated by the European Union's Migration Pact, adopted in 2024 and implemented from June 2026. This EU legislation aims to integrate asylum procedures with domestic policing, effectively extending 'border logic' into the interior of member states. Critics suggest that this shift allows for a policing model that resembles the activities of agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the United States. Consequently, Romani communities and other racialized minorities are increasingly being subjected to tactics typically reserved for border control. This includes militarized surveillance, collective punishment, and rapid displacement, which were previously more commonly applied to migrants at Europe's external borders. The use of drones, pre-dawn raids without individual warrants, and K-9 units in Romani-majority neighborhoods in Greece are cited as examples of these 'frontier' tactics being normalized within domestic policing. Furthermore, the recruitment of 'special guards' from within these communities for information gathering is seen by some as a strategy reminiscent of colonial practices, potentially fracturing social cohesion and encouraging residents to report on their neighbors.

Historical Context and Justifications

The justification for 'Operation ENTOS,' as articulated by officials such as the Minister of Citizen Protection, Michalis Chrysochoidis, centers on preventing and controlling criminality and ensuring that no 'special zones' exist beyond the law. Police press releases frequently state that 'targeted police operations were carried out with the aim of reinforcing the sense of security of citizens, preventing and tackling crime.' However, the rhetoric of 'tackling crime' has a long and complex history in relation to anti-Roma actions in Europe. Historical precedents include France's mandate for travelers to carry special ID cards from 1912 to 2017, and the Nazi-era fabrication of Roma as an 'asocial criminal element' used to justify genocide. Modern political figures and parties, from Italy's 2008 'Nomad Emergency' to the rhetoric of far-right parties in Hungary and France, have continued to employ law-and-order narratives that critics argue are used to justify policies that disproportionately affect Romani communities.

The characterization of Romani communities as 'hotspots of illegality' by Athens is viewed by some as an updated version of an old trope that conflates Romani identity with criminality. This narrative, critics contend, positions harsh policing, forced evictions, and exclusionary policies as necessary for public safety, rather than as potentially discriminatory ethnic targeting. This 'crime' rhetoric also serves as a tool for spatial cleansing, where Romani-majority living areas are framed as lawless zones. This can facilitate the clearing of land for development, investment, and modernization projects. Greece has a history of 'clean-up' operations and forced evictions under the guise of public order since the 1990s, many of which were reportedly carried out to make way for commercial zones, infrastructure projects, sports facilities, and even the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.

Lack of Scrutiny and Potential Implications

A significant concern surrounding 'Operation ENTOS' is the perceived lack of international scrutiny. The ERRC reportedly holds the only comprehensive dataset of these raids, compiled from local activists and police press releases, rather than from governmental or international institutions. The silence from Brussels, given the EU's push for stricter border controls, is also highlighted as troubling. Critics fear that if these campaigns proceed without condemnation, they could establish a dangerous precedent for similar operations across Europe, potentially normalizing the treatment of certain citizens as internal threats based on their ethnicity. This raises questions about the future of democratic principles and the protection of fundamental rights for marginalized communities within the European Union.

Source: Greece’s ‘war on Roma’ is Europe’s new blueprint for discrimination