DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS COUNTRY REPORT: GREECE

Greece serves as a front-line state for the EU, managing mixed migratory flows through a policy that prioritizes deterrence over legal migration. While the country has seen shifts in arriving nationalities—with increases in Egyptians, Palestinians, and Iraqis—it faces significant challenges in the social and economic integration of refugees and asylum seekers. The government is currently attempting to expand legal labor pathways through bilateral agreements and domestic reforms to address labor shortages, while continuing to rely on EU funding to maintain border security and reception infrastructure.

• Greece's migration strategy is characterized by a strong focus on deterrence and border security, utilizing legislation to make the country less attractive to asylum seekers. This includes the International Protection Act (2019), which introduced punitive measures and reduced safeguards, and the expansion of the border fence along the land border with Turkey in the Evros region.
• There have been notable shifts in the nationalities of people arriving in Greece. While Syrians and Afghans remain the primary groups, there has been a rise in arrivals from Egypt, Palestine, and Iraq. In 2024, the top five nationalities for arrivals were Syrians, Afghans, Egyptians, Palestinians, and Eritreans.
• Greece is attempting to transition toward a more outward-looking legal migration policy to address post-pandemic labor shortages. This includes bilateral labor agreements, such as a Memorandum of Understanding with Bangladesh that allows for 4,000 annual temporary residence permits and the potential legalization of 15,000 undocumented Bangladeshis.
• Integration remains a critical failure in Greece, with many refugees and asylum seekers opting for secondary movement to other EU states, particularly Germany, due to a lack of effective support. The report notes that the country provides 'equality on paper' but lacks equal opportunities in practice.
• The Greek government has been criticized for using food insecurity as a deterrence tool, specifically by announcing in May 2023 that food at the Mavrovouni Closed Controlled Access Centre on Lesvos would only be provided to those seeking asylum, excluding recognized refugees.
• EU financial assistance is the primary driver of Greece's resilience as a front-line state. Total support includes €2.27 billion from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, €450 million from the Internal Security Fund, and €668.9 million from the Emergency Support Instrument.

APA

Dimitriadi, A. (2024). DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS COUNTRY REPORT: GREECE. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/62225397-c9b7-45cf-9e71-150e27ece4bd/Country report GREECE.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Dimitriadi, Angeliki. DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS COUNTRY REPORT: GREECE. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2024. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/62225397-c9b7-45cf-9e71-150e27ece4bd/Country report GREECE.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Dimitriadi |first1=Angeliki |title=DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS COUNTRY REPORT: GREECE |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=December 2024 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/62225397-c9b7-45cf-9e71-150e27ece4bd/Country report GREECE.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dimitriadi2024democracy, author = {Dimitriadi, Angeliki}, title = {{DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS COUNTRY REPORT: GREECE}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2024}, month = dec, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/62225397-c9b7-45cf-9e71-150e27ece4bd/Country report GREECE.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }