New legislation will grant legal status to illegal immigrants after 3 years of staying in Greece

A new type of residence permit for migrants is created by Article 4 of the amendment submitted today to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security's insurance bill. The amendment was submitted by the Ministry of Migration and Asylum and concerns third-country migrants living in Greece.

According to information from parapolitika.gr, this amendment provides that third-country migrants who have been residing in Greece without a permit until November 30, 2023, for three years, now have the right to be granted a legal residence permit by the Secretariat of the Decentralized Administration.

It is noted that until now illegal migrants, i.e. those who had not applied for asylum or had been rejected, could under very strict conditions apply for a residence permit, and in particular only if they had completed 7 years of continuous presence in the country.
Now, article 4 simplifies the requirements and those who have entered illegally until 30.11.23 and have stayed 3 instead of 7 years in the country, can acquire a special residence permit for themselves and their families. So the requirements are reduced by 4 years.

This development seems to be linked to the fact that there is pressure for labour, especially for agricultural workers, with the government coming to intervene catalytically in this matter. It is estimated that around 28,000 workers are affected by this measure.

Source: Parapolitika (in Greek)