Migrants: 90,000 Residence Permits Unblocked Immediately – What Changes with the New Bill

The Greek government is moving forward with a major reform of its legal migration system, aiming to put an end to long-standing delays and bureaucratic deadlocks that have affected both migrants and key sectors of the economy.

According to Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris, 90,000 pending residence permits will be unblocked in the immediate period, while nearly 200,000 cases are expected to be resolved within the next two years under a new migration bill soon to be submitted to Parliament.

The scale of the problem

Currently, around 793,000 legal migrants live in Greece, yet approximately 293,000 residence permit applications remain pending. In many cases, permits are issued after they have already expired, creating legal uncertainty, employment difficulties, and barriers to social integration.

The new bill seeks to eliminate this structural dysfunction by simplifying procedures and extending permit validity, ensuring that administrative delays no longer penalize legally residing migrants.

Automatic renewals and two-year permits

One of the bill’s key provisions is the automatic renewal of certain categories of residence permits, particularly when migrants continue working for the same employer. This change aims to end the repetitive submission of identical documents without substantive justification.

Additionally, all new residence permits will have a minimum duration of two years, preventing applicants from losing their legal status due to administrative backlogs.

Second chance for long-term legal residents

Special provisions apply to migrants who have legally resided in Greece for five years or more, but whose applications were previously rejected for purely technical or procedural reasons. These individuals will be allowed to reapply, provided the formal deficiencies are corrected, facilitating their full legal integration.

The bill also addresses first-generation migrants aged over 65 who have lived and worked legally in Greece for at least 20 years. They will be permitted to remain in the country without an obligation to work, provided they hold private health and pension insurance, ensuring no burden on the public social security system.

Administrative relief and faster processing

To speed up decision-making, the Ministry will strengthen decentralized administrative authorities and introduce file transfers between regions, allowing overloaded services to redistribute applications and significantly reduce processing times.

Labour migration and economic needs

The bill introduces substantial reforms to the recruitment of workers from third countries, simplifying procedures to help cover labor shortages in key sectors of the economy.

Temporary employment agencies will be allowed to initiate recruitment procedures on behalf of businesses with urgent staffing needs. For large infrastructure projects, the bill enables fast-track recruitment of up to 500 workers, while consular procedures will also be streamlined to shorten waiting periods.

A major innovation is the right to change employer for migrants entering Greece through recruitment schemes, without losing their legal residence status—enhancing labor mobility and reducing dependency or exploitation risks.

Bilateral agreements and firm stance on irregular migration

The reform is complemented by strengthened bilateral labor agreements with third countries such as the Philippines, Armenia, and Egypt, particularly in agriculture, under the strict condition of cooperation in combating irregular migration.

As Minister Plevris emphasized, “Greece remains absolutely firm against illegal migration, while redesigning the legal pathway for those who wish to work and fill critical labor shortages in agriculture, construction, and tourism.”

Political impact

The bill sends a dual political message: it addresses the pressing labor needs of the Greek economy while restoring legal certainty for tens of thousands of migrants trapped for years in administrative limbo.

Whether the reform will succeed, however, will depend not only on legislation—but on the state’s ability to implement it effectively.

Source: pagenews.gr