Greece: More than 270,000 residence permit applications create economic problems

There is a backlog of more than 270,000 applications for residence permits at the Aliens Affairs Offices (aladapon), causing serious delays and negatively impacting the country's economy, especially in labor-intensive sectors such as agriculture.

According to the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum, in September 2024 there was a pending 273,900 applicationswhich is 12% more than the same period in 2023. Almost 75% of these applications were received by the Attica Office, with more than 90,000 applications submitted in 2023 alone. More than 50,000 of these relate to work permits, which is particularly important in addressing labor shortages.

Greece has already suffered significant economic losses due to a shortage of workers, especially in agriculture. It is expected that this year the workforce shortage in the agricultural sector could reach 180,000 people. For example, due to labor shortages, the harvest of green olives in 2023 was reduced by 30%, resulting in losses of about 27 million euros. Overall, the shortage of workers in the agricultural sector is estimated at 1.5 billion euros, prompting exporters of olives and other crops to call on the government to speed up the process of issuing residence and work permits for foreign nationals.

In response to this situation, the Greek government is taking measures to speed up the processing of residence permit applications. The Attica Office is increasing the number of employees working with applications to reduce waiting times. These efforts also concern applications for family reunification, especially among Greek citizens and residents of other countries EU. The main nationalities representing the workforce are Albanians, Georgians and Pakistanis, with Albanians making up 60% of all new workers, making them an important part of Greece's economic resource.

Greece issued some 147,926 residence permits to non-EU workers in 2023 and 2024, demonstrating efforts to meet labor demand. However, due to the slow processing of applications, only about 14,000 work permits were issued in the first half of 2024, although 30,000 were originally planned to be issued. Experts warn that without significant improvements in application processing processes and simplification of administrative requirements, Greece risks worsening economic situation due to a shortage of skilled workers.

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