I am 58 years old and I am from Syria. I have been in Greece for 26 years and I have a 10-year residence permit as an immigrant. However, I do not have Greek citizenship.
In order to work, one must initially have legal documents to work legally, with stamps and having all his labor rights. If caught without documents, a fine of up to 10000 euros is imposed. Also, language is the key to everything, without it you can do nothing. Immigrants mainly prefer construction because it has a good wage. I can have access to other jobs, but a B1 or B2 language certificate is required. No training is provided by any organization in any skill. Help comes only from acquaintances and friends. Whatever right the Greek citizen has, the same applies to the immigrant as long as he has all the legal documents, because he has the same obligations. There is racism at work, but to a very small extent, and it exists in every country. In Central Europe the issue of racism is much bigger. There are problems, but we cannot generalise, it is a question of whether the employer is decent and respects the rights of the employee or not.
Having all the legal documents, the immigrant has every right like the Greek citizen. So in the health system. I have been in Greece for many years and I know how the system works. Access to private health care is difficult because it is expensive and not easy at all. In Chania the condition of the hospital is very problematic. There is no appointed translator of the hospital, everyone brings a friend with them. But those who are in an NGO can have a translator with them.
In Greece there is no help in education as in the rest of Europe, where there are schools and those who attend receive financial assistance for the time they spend there. Nor does there be any NGOs that offer assistance in education. There is the Immigrants’ Haunt for language teaching, which is coordinated by volunteers. Ten years ago, there was a language program from the Municipality, I registered to learn the language, I also received a B1 language certificate through exams. I am a law graduate in Syria. Two or three years after I arrived in Greece, I learned that my degree could be recognized. I had to take some exams and then I could practice my profession normally. If I had known from the beginning that I could have recognized my degree, I would have liked to practice the profession, but since I started working in construction, I did not think again. In the past, there was no information or training about anything. We learned the language mainly through social life in everyday life.
In the last ten years the issue of housing has been very difficult on the islands due to AirBnB. Also, many no longer rent their homes to immigrants because they fear they will not be consistent. There is a general crisis in housing. Today there are NGO programs that help refugees with housing, paying bills for a year, and an allowance of 150 euros is given, but it has specific criteria.
Language help must be provided, the country must be exemplified by the rest of Europe in terms of the rights of immigrants, who are suffering greatly. To provide lessons to migrants and pay them for it, to motivate but also to help those who do not work and learn the language to find work. This would also help their social integration. There is much to be done, but we have to think rationally. In other words, Greece is in crisis, we cannot make greater demands than possible. There is no religious respect, there are no mosques. In Chania, two places are rented where they can practice their faith, but it is forbidden to be in the form of a mosque and to have an imam who openly invites the faithful to prayer. The issue of granting citizenship must be changed so that immigrants can have both political rights and the ability to exercise them. The conditions for obtaining citizenship are very difficult. There is a big problem with bureaucracy and this creates further obstacles. Online services do not help the situation, because even employees are not properly trained. Greece has a very outdated system.
As immigrants we have the right to form a collective and it is encouraged. Personally, I participate in local community activities such as tree planting and beach cleaning.
