Greece

Abstract

Greece has traditionally been an emigration country. This changed in the 1970s when immigration started to outnumber emigration. However, Greece first started to create a legal framework for the management of immigration flows only in the 1990s. Yet, lacking perspectives to acquire and maintain a legal residence status continue to shape the situation of many immigrants from non-EU states until today. The first section of this country profile deals with the historical development of migratory flows to and from Greece since the 1970s. This is followed by a look at the main features of the migrant population in Greece particularly taking into account the question of irregular migrants and asylum seekers, as the three types of flows and stocks (legal, irregular and asylum) in the case of Greece are closely intertwined. Further sections then deal with the main migration management policies as well as citizenship and integration issues. The country profile concludes with a discussion of current and future challenges with regard to migration flows.