Albanians make up about 70% of foreigners in Greece, but recently the Greek government has published a report which shows that they are leaving at a fast pace.
Many legal Albanian citizens with valid residence permits are leaving Greece, according to data published in August by the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum.
According to data released by the Ministry in August 2021, 422,954 immigrants from Albania had a valid residence permit.
This accounted for 63% of legally resident aliens in Greece. However, the data suggest that in 2022 there are 291,868 Albanian citizens with a valid residence permit in Greece.
The decrease in the number of Albanian immigrants in Greece is related not only to the stricter procedures for granting residence permits and obtaining Greek citizenship, but also to a dynamic movement of Albanian workers and their families to other European countries with conditions and perspectives best.
They choose other European countries
A large number of Albanians living in Greece have emigrated to Northern Europe and Great Britain after encountering difficulties in Greece in terms of employment and rising prices.
The president of the Halkidiki Job Center, Christos Euframidis, says: "During the pandemic it became very difficult for Balkan workers to enter our country (border closure, pcr test) and many returned to the markets of Germany, France, England and Italy. The daily wages there are higher and now they choose to work there." At the same time, he notes that the Greeks of the region have turned to tourism in recent years.
In 2022, according to the ministry's report, there were 13,329 Albanian citizens who are identified with the special name "homogeneous" in their identity cards. This officially identifies them as individuals of the Greek minority from Albania.
In total, there may be more than half a million individuals of Albanian origin in Greece who, together with their children, have acquired Greek citizenship over the years.
Italy and Greece still host the largest number of Albanians living abroad, where the number is increasing in Italy, while in Greece it is decreasing year after year due to economic difficulties.