Greece’s Immigration Code is scheduled to be revamped so that it is in line with European legislation. One of the new additions to the code is for long-term permit residents being allowed to hold jobs.
According to the Minister of Interior Yannis Michelakis, the Immigration Code will be the first of its kind in Greece and will encompass all relevant legislation on legally entering and residing in Greece. The code will include about 140 articles and regulations from bills, acts and European legislation.
Aside from introducing the long-term residence permits, the code will provide more favorable treatment of second-generation migrants, fast-track procedures for investors, reduction of bureaucracy and more. The procedures for acquiring Greek citizenship remain to be determined.
The Ministry clarified that the Code will be stricter regarding the possibilities of legalization of illegal immigrants and family reunions. DNA testing will now be used in order to prove family relations, particular in cases where legal documents appear to be forged.
The Deputy Minister of Interior Leonidas Grigorakos stressed that the Immigration Code is independent of the acquisition of Greek citizenship, but that the Code made provisions so that acquiring citizenship is not necessary to live in Greece.
Mr. Grigorakos also revealed that about 540,000 foreigners have residence permits while 160,000 more have applied for one and that there are 80,000 foreign students in Greek schools, about half of whom reside legally in Greece.
The Immigration Code will introduce “one stop shop” services that have been implemented in other European countries for over a decade. Such services have been available in all decentralized directorates in Greece since the 30th of September.
These “one stop shop” agencies will be able to instantly provide a number of immigration services and renewals, cutting through a lot of the time-consuming red tape currently experienced by foreign nationals in Greece. The staff to support these services will derive from the government’s suspension and mobility scheme.
