Migrants accuse the government of turning a blind eye to the red tapestrangling the legalisation process, as new bill and Migration PolicyInstitute launch delayed
BY KATHY TZILIVAKISWITH little more than three months to go before the twice-extended window of opportunity for residence and work permits slams shut, hundreds of thousands of migrants in Greece are growing disenchanted. They accuse the government of turning a blind eye to the bureaucracy hounding the ongoing legalisation process, which began in June 2001.
Holding out against a long bureaucratic paper chase of the legalisation process, countless migrants fear their efforts will have been in vain. They see no light at the end of the tunnel and their hopes of one day living and working legally in Greece are fading.
"We are in the dark," says the Sudanese community leader Moavias Ahmet. "There are still so many problems and unanswered questions, and migrants are in the dark... Despite the promises, we have seen no sign of improvement. The problems and difficulties are still there."
Ahmet and other migrant community leaders in Athens gather on Thursday afternoons to discuss the current situation. The weekly meetings are an open forum for foreigners to voice their concerns and propose solutions. But their efforts to inject some order into the mayhem undermining the intentions of the legalisation have very little, if any, real effect. There is only so much they can do without the support of interior ministry officials in charge of the legalisation process.
For Joe Valencia, president of KASAPI-Hellas (Unity of Filipino Migrant Workers in Greece), the current state of affairs surrounding the issuing of residence and work permits is all but hopeless. He too feels the government is dragging its feet and doing very little to iron out the many wrinkles threatening the application procedure. He stresses proof of stable employment and contributions to the Social Insurance Fund (IKA) are "extremely difficult" for migrant workers. Employers are widely unwilling to insure them.
"It's a pity the Greek government is not addressing the issues seriously," said Valencia. "This is at the migrants' expense. This will result in many migrants going back to being illegal. We appreciated the legalisation extension [to June 30], but the system has not changed. Even if they were to make another extension, we will still be at the mercy of this system."
New bill delayed
Interior Minister Costas Skandalidis has repeatedly confirmed the government's commitment to rescue the legalisation procedure from impending derailment. Ministry officials recently announced plans to draft new legislation to simplify the legalisation and cut the red tape.
The bill, which has yet to be tabled in parliament, reportedly cancels the health certificate requirement for migrants seeking to renew their residence permits. It is unclear when this bill will be discussed in parliament.
Meanwhile, thousands of migrants are anxiously waiting for the government to pass legislation allowing foreigners to apply for permanent residence after only five years of legal stay in Greece. The government's intention to do this was announced by Skandalidis in December. There has been no news of the matter since.
Under existing law (2910/2001), migrants must prove 10 years of legal residence in Greece to be eligible for a permit valid indefinitely. Many long-time migrants, however, complain officials are widely refusing to apply this rule. Ahmet, who has been living in Greece for over 20 years, is one of them. He has repeatedly raised the issue with interior ministry officials.
"I haven't been successful," he says. "I have only heard of one person who managed to apply for this permit... Staff at municipalities [responsible for the issuing of residence permits] refuses to accept applications. This is an issue the government is not eager to address."
Think-tank set back
The Migration Policy Institute - a think-tank to furnish policymakers with new ideas - was officially launched by Skandalidis in December. It has yet to get down to brass tacks. In fact, the institute does not even have an office to accommodate the board members of this new 250,000 euro institute.
The institute's director, psychology professor Fotini Tsalicoglou told the Athens News on March 19 the reason the institute's operation has been delayed is bureaucracy. She said to inquire again in two weeks' time.
The think-tank's main role is to research immigration trends in Greece. It will review existing l egislation and recommend amendments. Members of the institute will liaise with policymakers to assist the government construct a more efficient system of immigration and asylum.

ATHENS NEWS , 28/03/2003 , page: A36
Article code: C13007A361