Since the mid-1980s, and particularly since the end of the 1980s, there has been an increasing influx of migrants from Eastern and Central Europe and from the Third World. This prompted the enactment of Law 1975/91 in 1991, the aim of which is to control and contain the flow of foreign labour into Greece.
The basic characteristics of the new legislation are:
- the entry criteria and the requirements as regards entry documentation have been tightened, for instance:
- there is an obligation to pay a deposit which is held by the Reserves and Loans Fund;
- there is an obligation to join a major insurance organisation;
- the maximum length of stay is fixed at five years for foreigners living in Greece;
- penal and administrative sanctions have been tightened (fines of between GRD 20,000 and GRD 300,000) for employers who hire foreign workers illegally.
The regime of legally employed foreign nationals in Greece has not changed to any great extent. In this regard, foreign nationals are prohibited from carrying out any occupational activity in Greece prior to acquiring a residence permit and a work permit. The work permit is made out in the name of the holder and it specifies occupation or profession, employer, and place and duration of employment. It is issued for a specific length of time and may be renewed.
Legal foreign employees enjoy the same civil rights as native employees (Art. 4 of the Civil Code). From the point of view of labour legislation, there is no discrimination between foreign and native employees with regard to remuneration, conditions of employment or social benefits.
On 31.12.1996, Law 2452 - amending Law 1975/91 on regulations concerning refugees - was published in Greece's official gazette. A Presidential Decree, PD 209/94, laying down the conditions and procedures for the granting of work permits or benefits for the vocational reintegration of refugees has also been passed.
- On 25.6.1998, Presidential Decree 189 was published in the official gazette. This decree concerns the requirements and procedures for the granting of work permits or other support for the vocational integration of recognised refugees, asylum-seekers and persons allowed temporary residence in Greece for humanitarian reasons.
- In order to deal with the problem of illegal immigration, in 1997 the Greek government passed and implemented Presidential Decrees 358 and 359, which introduced a procedure for legalising economic immigrants who are living illegally on Greek territory. The decrees concern the requirements and the procedures for granting residence and work permits to foreigners from non-EU countries and for granting residence permits (green cards) to foreign nationals which are also recognised as work permits.
- § 81 of Law 2676/1999 stipulates that family members of citizens of EU Member States are exempted from the administrative fee charged when residence or work permits are issued - regardless of their own citizenship. The fee charged for issuing or extending a residence or work permit is the same as the administrative fee for a Greek identification card.
- Agreements on the employment of seasonal workers have been ratified by law by the Greek and Bulgarian governments and by the Greek and Albanian governments.
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