Immigration in Greece: overview and perspectives

Abstract

The present paper examines immigration
in Greece over the past two decades.
Economic immigrants in Greece, despite
the absence of reliable offi cial data, exceed
one million, while immigration has lead
to the development of policies relating
to the planning and implementation of
a coherent immigration policy centered
on the legalization and the integration
of immigrants in the Greek society. This
necessity stems from the twenty year old
existence of immigration in Greece as well
as from a series of developments affecting
core public policies such as education,
employment, income, social insurance,
health care, residence, legalization and
integration of immigrants.
Nonetheless, it should be pointed out,
that the size and the complexity of the
phenomenon requires the development
of a coherent policy that will in turn
enhance effectiveness in tackling the
social, economic, and political aspects
of immigration. In addition, the role of
immigrants in society, the labor market
and the economy constitutes a further
point towards that direction.