Research Institute for European and American Studies
Newsletter on Immigration to Greece
Editor: Ioannis Kolovos
Recycled criminality!
According to high-ranking officers of the Hellenic Police Albanian criminals operating in Greece return to their country of origin, change their names, obtain new passports and re-enter Greece seemingly without a criminal record. The Hellenic Police have already spotted 496 such cases of Albanian criminals who have been arrested in the last four months under new names. It should be noted that each year about 9,000 Albanians are arrested in Greece for robberies, thefts and drug-dealing.
A relevant article (To Vima online, 22/03/2013) can be read here (in Greek only)
Foreigners constitute 63% of Greece’s prison inmates
The fact that on January 1st, 2013 foreigners constituted 63% of the inmates in Greek prisons is another indication of the link between illegal immigration and serious crime.
A relevant article (Efimerida ton Syntakton, 4/4/2013) can be read here (in Greek only)
Some facts about Muslim immigrants’ presence in Attica
According to Ministry of Education Secretary Mr George Kalantzis the population of Muslim immigrants in Attica is about 150,000 people, of whom only 28,000 have legal residence permits. The number of active illegal mosques is estimated to be about 120.
Relevant articles can be read (in Greek only) here (Kathimerini, 7/4/2013)
Illegal immigrants riot in Corinth detention center
Illegal immigrants waiting to be deported rioted in Corinth detention center. The rioters threw rocks and tiles at the police, caused damage to the building and tried to start a fire in the building’s basement. The police restored order by using tear gas and arrested 47 Afghans. In the same detention center clashes between African and Pakistani inmates took place the week before.
A relevant article (Kathimerini, 11/4/2013) can be read here (in Greek only)
Number of migrant children in Greek schools increases rapidly
According to a European Commission report “in Greece the percentage of ‘other-language’ students in pre-primary, primary and secondary schools for the school year 2010-11 has risen to 12%, while it used to be 7.3% in 2006-07”. This means that their percentage rose by 64% in five years’ time!
An executive summary of the European Commission report can be read here (in English)
Frontex publicized their Annual Risk Analysis for 2013
According to Frontex’s analysis the enhanced surveillance at the land border between Greece and Turkey resulted in a 44% decrease of detections of illegal border-crossing (p. 19). Moreover, “Greece reported the largest number of returns of a single nationality (Albanians), and effective returns in Greece increased markedly in the last quarter of 2012 following the launch of the Xenios Zeus operation” (p. 6).
The analysis can be read in full here (in English)
An interesting comment on the issue of the Athens’ mosque
Mr Pericles Nearchou, former Ambassador of Cyprus in Paris, offers an interesting comment on the issue of the mosque which is to be established in central Athens.
Mr Nearchou’s article (To Paron, 21/4/2013) can be read here (in Greek only)