IMMIGRANTS’ INTEGRATION IN GREEK SOCIETY: AN EMPIRICAL RESEARCH

Abstract

Since the beginning of the 90s, Greece has rapidly become a reception country of a significant number of immigrants. It is estimated that, nowadays, the number of immigrants, both legal and illegal, is approximately 1,2 million. At the same time, Greece is, moreover, being used as an intermediate, temporary station in the immigrants’ effort to reach the countries of the central Europe. Consequently, the existing migration stock of Greece is too significant to be left unexamined, especially since various previous researches indicate that a considerable number of immigrants express their intention to make Greece their place of permanent residence. Therefore, the application of an integration immigration policy in Greek society is considered to be a necessity and the examination of the parameters that will support its effectiveness rises as an important practical issue. The present study empirically investigates the main factors that compose, according to relevant literature, the immigration policy of each country (employment, education, legalization procedures, culture, racism, etc). More specifically, it is estimated whether these factors support or undermine the integration of immigrants in Greek society. Under this framework, the results of the pan-Hellenic empirical research are presented and the relevant findings are discussed.

Keywords

• Immigration, Immigrants’ integration, Migration stock, Greece

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