IMMIGRANTS’ INTEGRATION IN GREEK SOCIETY: AN EMPIRICAL RESEARCH

Year 2011, Volume: 3 Issue: 1, 11 - 22, 01.06.2011

Anastasios Karasavvoglou Persefoni Polychronidou Theodosios Theodosiou Dimitrios Chatzoudes

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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