Research Institute for European and American Studies
Newsletter on Immigration to Greece
Editor: Ioannis Kolovos
Another ex-post facto legalization being planned?
Minister of Labour Mr George Katrougalos pointed out that the Ministry plans to "rationalize the legal settings" on illegal labour.
Mr Katrougalos' interview (Epohi, 6/3/2016) can be read in full here (in Greek only)
Unemployment much higher for foreign nationals
According to the latest Labor Force Survey (4th quarter of 2015) the unemployment rate of foreign nationals was much higher compared to the Greeks (30.8% compared to 23.9% respectively).
The relevant press release by the National Statistics Authority can be read here (in Greek only)
Absolute majority of Greeks consider the government's handling of immigration issue as "wrong"
An opinion poll conducted by ALCO showed that 67% of Greeks consider the handling of the immigration issue by the government as "wrong", while only 20% consider it as "right".
The relevant opinion poll (Proto Thema, 20/3/2016) can be found here (in Greek only)
Absolute majority of Greeks want very few refugees to be accommodated in the country
A "Public Issue" opinion poll showed that the absolute majority of Greeks (58%) want only up to 10,000 refugees to be accommodated in the country (22% want none and 36% want from 1 to 10,000).
The relevant poll (Avgi, 20/3/2016) can be read here (in Greek only)
Hellenic Police maps the routes and the networks of smugglers of refugees and illegal immigrants to Greece
"Real News" Sunday newspaper publicized a four-page-long article outlining a Hellenic Police secret report on the routes and the networks of smugglers of refugees and illegal immigrants to Greece.
The relevant article (Real News, 20/3/2016) can be read in full here (in Greek only)
We told you so, many years ago...
This newsletter's editor had warned in 2011 that the continuous inflow of illegal immigrants would push EU to crushing point...
The relevant RIEAS editorial can be read in full here (in English)
Only 13,197 applications for asylum were submitted in Greece in 2015
The 13,197 asylum applications constitute a 40% increase compared to 2014 but still the number is quite small compared to the more than tenfold increase of the inflow of refugees and illegal immigrants in Greece in the same period.
The relevant article (Kathimerini, 20/3/2016) can be read in full here (in Greek only)
Migration flows to Europe, "part of Turkish policy"?
During a meeting between King Abdullah of Jordan and US Congressional leaders, King Abdullah pointed out that the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, "believes in a radical Islamic solution to the problems in the region" and the "fact that terrorists are going to Europe is part of Turkish policy, and Turkey keeps getting a slap on the hand, but they get off the hook".
The relevant article (Guardian, 25/3/2016) can be read in full here (in English)
Opinion poll on refugees
Kapa Research conducted an opinion poll based on 637 face-to-face interviews with refugees accommodated in Attica. Some of the poll's findings are quite interesting.
A presentation of the poll's findings can be viewed here (in Greek only)
More and more Greeks think that the government is not handling the refugee crisis in the best possible way
According to an opinion poll conducted by the University of Macedonia, 66% of Greeks think that the government is not handling the refugee crisis in the best possible way, while 20% are of the opposite opinion. The percentages in the previous month's poll were 53% and 34% respectively.
The relevant poll (Kathimerini, 2/4/2016) can be read here (in Greek only)