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The process of acquiring citizenship in Greece and Europe remains fraught with obstacles and significant delays. An EDJNet cross-border data investigation on the barriers and challenges in acquiring citizenship in the European Union.<\/strong><\/p>\n 27\/3\/2025<\/strong><\/p>\n ” content_phone=”<\/p>\n The process of acquiring citizenship in Greece and Europe remains fraught with obstacles and significant delays. An EDJNet cross-border data investigation on the barriers and challenges in acquiring citizenship in the European Union.<\/strong><\/p>\n 27\/3\/2025<\/strong><\/p>\n ” content_last_edited=”on|phone” content_max_width_tablet=”” content_max_width_phone=”100%” content_max_width_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ title_text_align=”center” title_font_size=”29px” content_font=”||||||||” content_text_align=”center” background_color_gradient_direction=”337deg” background_color_gradient_stops=”rgba(10,11,48,0.72) 51%|rgba(255,137,141,0.26) 100%” background_color_gradient_start=”rgba(10,11,48,0.72)” background_color_gradient_start_position=”86%” background_color_gradient_end=”rgba(255,137,141,0.26)” background_image=”https:\/\/miir.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/EU-citizenship-main.jpeg” background_position=”center” vertical_offset_tablet=”0″ horizontal_offset_tablet=”0″ width_tablet=”” width_phone=”100%” width_last_edited=”on|phone” min_height=”447px” overflow-y=”hidden” custom_margin_tablet=”||||false|false” custom_margin_phone=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”||57px|||” custom_padding_tablet=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding_phone=”0px|0px|5px|0px|false|false” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” title_font_tablet=”” title_font_phone=”” title_font_last_edited=”on|phone” title_font_size_tablet=”25px” title_font_size_phone=”17px” title_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” title_line_height_tablet=”1.2em” title_line_height_phone=”1em” title_line_height_last_edited=”on|phone” content_font_tablet=”” content_font_phone=”|700|||||||” content_font_last_edited=”on|phone” content_font_size_tablet=”” content_font_size_phone=”14px” content_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” content_line_height_tablet=”” content_line_height_phone=”1.5em” content_line_height_last_edited=”on|phone” z_index_tablet=”0″ background_layout_tablet=”” background_layout_phone=”” background_layout_last_edited=”on|phone” overflow-x_tablet=”” overflow-x_phone=”” overflow-x_last_edited=”on|phone” overflow-y_tablet=”” overflow-y_phone=”visible” overflow-y_last_edited=”on|phone” title_text_shadow_style=”preset1″ title_text_shadow_horizontal_length=”0.12em” title_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” title_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” title_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” content_text_shadow_style=”preset5″ content_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” content_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” content_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” subhead_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” subhead_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” subhead_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” content_link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” content_link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” content_link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” content_ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” content_ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” content_ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” content_ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” content_ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” content_ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” content_quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” content_quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” content_quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” button_one_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” button_one_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” button_one_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” button_two_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” button_two_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” button_two_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_horizontal_image_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_image_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_image_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_image_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_horizontal_button_one_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_button_one_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_button_one_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_button_one_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_horizontal_button_two_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_button_two_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_button_two_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_button_two_tablet=”0px” text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The process of acquiring citizenship in Greece and Europe remains fraught with obstacles and significant delays. An EDJNet cross-border data investigation on the barriers and challenges in acquiring citizenship in the European Union.<\/strong><\/p>\n 27\/3\/2025<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_fullwidth_header][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.19.2″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”1627px” custom_margin=”-40px||||false|false” custom_padding=”45px||3px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.19.2″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”1404px” custom_margin=”-30px||||false|false” custom_padding=”||11px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.19.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”115px” custom_padding=”21px|||||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Research – Text: Janine Louloudi, Maria \u00c1lvarez Del Vayo, Lucas Laursen, Ter Garc\u00eda, Carmen Torrecillas, Adrian Maqueda <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n At the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, the new occupant of the ministerial office presented his credentials a week ago. And it was exactly what anyone familiar with Makis Voridis’ path in the far-right, would expect. Appearing at the <\/span>House Committee on Public Administration, Public Order and Justice (19\/3)<\/span><\/a>, he was quick to announce that he personally made the decision to withdraw the provision of a bill that extended until the end of September the deadline for submitting applications for legalization of immigrants who have lived in Greece for more than three years and have found an employer (Article 205, para. 2) – a procedure that had been proposed by his predecessor Dimitris Kairidis, in an attempt to meet the pressing need for a workforce. He then announced that any further decision “should be linked to more restrictive policies to deal with illegal immigration from now on”. A few days later (27\/3) <\/span>during a visit to the ministry<\/span><\/a>, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis would additionally state that legal immigration to Greece “must meet established labour market needs”.<\/span><\/p>\n Residence permits<\/strong>, initially temporary and then long-term, are the basic \u201cpaper” for proving legal residence in the country and the first step in the long process towards acquiring Greek citizenship for those foreigners who do not possess significant athletic or other qualifications to “offer exceptional services or serve an exceptional interest in the country” (Article 13 of the Code of Greek Citizenship), in order to receive honorary naturalization. Such naturalizations vary considerably, are usually quick and depend only on the political will of the government.<\/span><\/p>\n A very characteristic example is that of athletes who were naturalized in order to wear the colours of the Hellenic National Team, such as for example the Olympiakos basketball player Thomas Walkup, who received Greek citizenship in 2023 and participated with the Greek team in the 2024 Olympics. At least 25 athletes competed in Paris having received citizenship by decree of a European country, including Ekaterina Antropova, a Russian volleyball player naturalized by Italy in 2023, and Russian wrestler <\/span>Dauren Kurugliev <\/span><\/a>who gave Greece a silver medal.<\/span><\/p>\n However for people like Natalia<\/strong>, who has been living in Greece for the last 28 years, acquiring citizenship still seems like an elusive dream. She and her husband left Moldova in 1997, when the country was in a severe economic crisis, leaving behind two children. They both worked hard – she as a cleaner and housekeeper, her husband as a handyman –\u00a0 and managed to bring over and raise their daughters here. The years went by, constantly renewing their residence permits, until in 2014 Natalia heard her daughters say, “Mom, we have our friends here, our studies here, we’re not going back.” It was around the time when the girls went to university, obtained Greek citizenship and encouraged her to apply for Greek citizenship.<\/span><\/p>\n “Citizenship unlocks the rights that individuals should have as full members in a state,” says migration researcher Jelena Dzankic<\/strong>, co-director of the Global Citizenship Observatory and<\/span> a part-time professor at the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence, Italy.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-50px||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Data analysis – Illustrations: Civio<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n