Labor market opens up to refugees

Greece is moving to integrate asylum seekers straight into its labour marketplace arsenic the state faces mounting worker shortages successful farming, tourism and construction. 

Migration Minister Thanos Plevris precocious presented Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis with a program tied to a caller ineligible migration bill. The proposal, expected earlier the furniture connected Tuesday, besides addresses pending asylum applications and procedures for bringing successful workers from abroad.

Government officials said the measurement would let refugees granted asylum to participate the workforce immediately, filling an estimated 20,000 positions annually. Over 5 years, the program could make up to 100,000 workers, though officials expect astir 60,000 to stay, against a projected request of 200,000.

The strategy calls for a two-tier detention system. Migrants unlikely to person asylum – chiefly from countries such arsenic Egypt and Pakistan – would stay successful first-level centers. Those with a “refugee profile,” including from Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan and Eritrea, would beryllium placed successful second-level centers, where they would larn basal Greek and occupation skills. Training would beryllium tailored to sectors with shortages, and benefits would beryllium reduced to debar attracting caller migration.

About 15% of asylum recipients are women, who could determination rapidly into tourism and nutrient service. Officials constituent to Sudanese migrants arsenic peculiarly suited for cultivation work, citing acquisition successful cotton, maize and wheat production.

Centers successful regions with precocious labour request – Thessaly, Viotia and bluish Greece – will beryllium converted into aviator second-level facilities. Plevris has besides called for decentralizing structures distant from Athens.

Officials reason that integrating refugees is indispensable to sustaining Greece’s 2% maturation rate. “Without these workers,” 1 source said, “entire sectors will look superior problems.”