Did you know that there is a large immigrant population in Greece? NO?

Well, it's true, as of 2006, immigrants made up 10% of the total population.

DEMOGRAPHICS

In 2001 Albanians were the largest immigrant group, making up 56% of all foreigners. Other groups include Bulgarians, at 5%, followed by those from Georgia and Romania. Finally, the Roma (not to be confused with Romanians) are a small minority, who live in (often conflicting) tribes that are either Muslim or Orthodox Christian. They are by far the most marginalized immigrant group in Greece.

DISCRIMINATION

Obviously the immigrant population in Greece is very diverse. They have come from different places at different times and have brought with them different customs. What many share, however, is a common experience of prejudice and descrimination by the dominant Greek culture who exploits their labor. Many immigrants are treated as second-class citizens despite the role they have played in helping the country industrialize, allowing Greek families to move forward while many immigrant families remain grossly neglected.

EXPLOITATION & GENDER: Immigrants and Greek families

Greek women have begun to gain equality in the work force and in their homes, but it is often at the expense of immigrant women and children who make up the bulk of the cheap labor hired to compensate for the work that those women and their own children used to do. For example, immigrant women are hired to care for the house and children when both parents are working, and children are often exploited as workers on farms. It is also prestigous for Greek women to have live-in maids, so as Greek women become freed of the burdens of household chores.

This potentntial for exploitation has led to a phenomenon known as the "'feminization' of immigration," not just in Greece but in all of southern Europe (Van der Geest et. al. 2004:437). Women already have low status in Greece (and many other nations) in general, making immigrant women even easier to exploit based on their second-class citizenship, which makes them desirable as workers. Further, the Greek government has been very slow to respond to the changing needs of Greek families with things like leave time and adequate child care. Therefore, many Greek women are left without much choice but to either stay in their oppressed position or find someone else to (cheaply) handle their burdens. Unfortunately, because many immgrant women and their families are fleeing very bad situations in their countries of origin, they are often left with no other choice but to stay in Greece and work under whatever conditions are available to them.

OTHER ISSUES FACING IMMIGRANTS IN GREECE

In 2002 Greece passed the “Law to Combat Trafficking Persons, Child Pornography, and Economic Exploitation, and Support Victims,” which called for up to 10 years in prison, fines of up to 46,000 euros for traffickers, as well as shelter and medical assistance for victims. However enforcement has been problematic because of widespread corruption among the police force as well as discrimination against women and ethnic minorities.

Immigrant women and children continue to be trafficked into the country for use as prostitutes and cheap workers. Many of the children will end up working for Greek families on familily farms, which are unprotected by child labor laws. The women often face brutal treatment by the authorities if they are "caught" being trafficked for prostitution, at which time they are often sent back to the country from which they were taken rather than given asylum.

Although the situation is improving, much more work is needed to ensure that immigrant families, particularly their women and children have the protection they deserve and need.

You can get more information on some of these issues at the following sites:

Hellenic Republic National Council on Human Rights (for information about the Roma):http://www.nchr.gr/category.php?category_id=99

Human Rights Watch: http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/eca/greece/greece_memo_greece.htm

UN Human Rights Committee on Economin, Social, and Cultural Rights: http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/0/0fcc2b5b27738e28c1256f430056245b?Opendocument

References:

Cavounidis, J. 2006. "Labor market impact of migration: Employment structures and the case of Greece." International Migration Review 40(3):43-62.

Columbia University, Institute for Child and Family Policy, Cross National Studies Programs. 2003. "The Clearinghouse on International Developments in Child, Youth, and Family Policies at Columbia University: Greece Country Summary." New York, NY:Columbia University, Retrieved October/8, 2006

(http://www.childpolicyintl.org/).

Hellenic Republic National Commission for Human Rights. 2001. "The State of Roma in Greece."Hellenic Republic National Commission for Human Rights Website, Retreived December/04, 2006

(http://www.nchr.gr/category.php?category_id=99).

United Nations Human Rights System. 2003. "Greece: Thematic Reports." United Nations Human Rights System, Retrieved October/29, 2006

(http://www.hri.ca/fortherecord2003/vol6/greecetr.htm).

United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. 2004. "Concluding Observations of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Greece." Retrieved October/29, 2006

(http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/0/0fcc2b5b27738e28c1256f430056245b?Opendocument).

US Dept of State. 2006. "Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Background Note: Greece." U.S. Dept of State Website. Retreived, November/19, 2006

(http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3395.htm).

Van der Geest, Sjaak; Anke Mul and Hans Vermeulen. 2004. "Linkages between Migration and the Care of Frail Older People: Observations from Greece, Ghana and the Netherlands." Ageing & Society 24(3):431-450.