Asylum and Migration System Reform : A New Role for the Orthodox Church of Greece?

Abstract

After the fall of the Iron Curtain, Greece, until then a country of emigration, became a receiving country for immigrants. In 2015, it was met with a significant humanitarian challenge during the largest migration and refugee crisis in Europe since the end of the Second World War. The Orthodox Church of Greece (OCG) and its NGOs made a significant contribution to dealing with the increased arrivals of refugees, asylum seekers and irregular immigrants. At the same time, Greece has been called upon to respond to this challenge while taking into account both humanitarian consideration and its obligation to safeguard the external borders of the EU in light of Europe’s populist resurgence. This chapter suggests that within the framework of deeper European collaboration, Greece will on the one hand have to prioritise the needs of vulnerable individuals, while on the other hand effectively control irregular migration.