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| Greece Offers Legal Status |
Greece extended legal residency to 3,405 undocumented Bangladeshi individuals residing in the country last year.
As of February 15 this year, another 113 Bangladeshi have applied for legal residence, while over 5,900 applications are still awaiting processing.
The Greek government has implemented several measures to streamline the process of obtaining legal residence. Last year, 10,337 Bangladeshi migrants applied for regularization in Greece, with 3,405 being granted legal status, according to Greek authorities.
However, 1,009 applications were rejected for various reasons, as reported by Migrationvisportal reported.The regularization process was established under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Athens and Dhaka in 2022.
This agreement allowed undocumented Bangladeshis in Greece to apply for legal residence, provided they had a Bangladeshi passport valid for at least two years, could demonstrate residency in Greece before February 9, 2022, and had employment.
Applicants were required to register at the Bangladesh Embassy in Athens before applying online through the Greek government’s website.
The application window was open from January 9 to December 31, 2023.In addition to the 2023 applications, 113 undocumented Bangladeshis applied for legal residence by February 15 this year.
However, over 5,900 applications are still pending, including those awaiting confirmation of their initial residence permit or smart card from Greek authorities.In 2022, Greece initiated a scheme to recruit Bangladeshi seasonal workers, aiming to address the influx of Bangladeshi migrants attempting unsafe routes to reach Greece.
To discourage unsafe migration via the sea, the Greek government has implemented changes to facilitate the process of obtaining legal residence.
The Greek Minister of Migration and Asylum, Dimitris Kairidis, announced that 2024 would focus on legal migration. The migration ministry is drafting a law to modernize the granting and renewal of residence permits for legal migrants in Greece. Greece aims to process 850,000 migration files by the first six months of 2026.
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Conclusion:
This article highlights Greece's initiatives regarding legal residency for Bangladeshi migrants, including the Memorandum of Understanding, regularization process, and modernization efforts in migration policy. Key figures like Dimitris Kairidis are mentioned, emphasizing Greece's commitment to legal migration and residence permits.
Thank you for reading about Greece's efforts to provide legal status to Bangladeshi migrants. Stay informed for more updates on migration policies and initiatives worldwide.