Gov't eyes citizenship for ethnic Greeks of Albania [Archive]

akritas

11-07-2006, 05:11 PM

Registered members of the ethnic Greek minority of southern Albania will be able to qualify for Greek citizenship under certain conditions, according to a decision reached at an Inner Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis.

Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos reminded that the delay in settling the long-standing issue emanated from a previous lack of guarantees by the Albanian state regarding the property and political rights of eligible ethnic Greeks in case of dual citizenship.

He explained that the decision to naturalise eligible and registered members of the ethnic Greek minority follows revisions to the Albanian constitution and after negotiations with Tirana. Naturalisation procedures can start immediately, depending on when an individual was registered by the Greek state as a member of the ethnic Greek minority, he said.

Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis underlined that the government was responding to a long-standing demand by members of the minority, while pointing out that there was broad-based agreement amongst Greek political forces on the issue.

She also underlined that the Albanian constitution now guarantees its citizens the right to hold a dual nationality, whereas Albania is taking steps to harmonise its legal framework with the European acquis and to fulfil EU criteria.

Earlier, the prime minister held a separate meeting with Environment, Land Planning and Public Works Minister George Souflias.

Caption: Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, centre, is shown with officials of the ethnic Greek villages of Dermisi and Aliko, both in the Gjirokastr district of southern Albania, during a tour of the region in January 1999. Karamanlis, who was the main opposition leader at the time, was on a hand for the ground-breaking of a new aqueduct. Archbishop of Tirana and All Albania Anastasios is also shown standing to the right of Karamanlis. ANA-MPA photo / A. Voutos.

http://www.ana-mpa.gr/anaweb/user/showplain?maindoc=4779527&maindocimg=1072986&service=6 (http://www.ana-mpa.gr/anaweb/user/showplain?maindoc=4779527&maindocimg=1072986&service=6)

Tsontos

12-06-2006, 01:10 AM

if albania removes albanian citizenship or too many voreioi hpeirotes are persuaded to leave there homes this is not a positive move. as if ND or PASOK give a stuff about them.

Naturalising North Epirotes

Why the New Democracy government will put 60,000 ethnic Greeks from Albania on the fast track to Greek citizenship this year

KATHY TZILIVAKIS

Hundreds of Northern Epirotes in Athens are already queueing outside the interior ministry building on Stadiou Street

THE CITIZENSHIP door is finally beginning to open for ethnic Greeks born west of the border in neighbouring Albania, but it is creaking on its hinges.

As many as a quarter of a million ethnic Greeks from Albania currently live in Greece. Known as Northern Epirotes, or Voreioepeirotes, in Greek, they are the children and descendants of Greek citizens from southern Albania. For nearly two decades, however, they have been routinely denied citizenship and subsequently deprived a broad range of civil and political rights. Until now.

The New Democracy government on November 7 officially announced its intention to naturalise Northern Epirotes.

But before they could even pop the cork on the champagne, it lost its fizz.

The government is not planning a widespread, all-inclusive naturalisation drive of Northern Epirotes. This means that not everyone will be allowed to swap their Special Identity Card for Aliens of Hellenic Descent - a laminated temporary-duration residence permit issued by the ministry of public order - for a Greek ID card and passport.

According to government sources, only some 60,000 will be put on the fast track to Greek citizenship. They include those who have already applied for Greek citizenship (an estimated 30,000) and those who have been issued a Special Identification Card for Aliens of Hellenic Descent that is valid for 10 years (another 30,000).

But there are 40,000 other Northern Epirotes who hold a Special ID Card that is valid for only three years. As many as 100,000 others are still waiting to be issued this Special ID Card. After issuance they could all be required to wait three years and obtain the 10-year-duration Special ID Card before they can apply for Greek citizenship.

Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos and his advisors are currently hammering out the details. A presidential decree is expected before the end of this month.

Long queues

Hundreds of Northern Epirotes in Athens are already queueing outside the interior ministry building on Stadiou Street in hopes of applying for Greek citizenship. On November 14, six police officers were assigned to control the crowd gathering outside the ministry.

"I have been renewing my Special ID Card every three years," says Mary, a 34-year-old receptionists who took the day off from work in order to submit her application for citizenship. "I heard the news on TV and thought that I should try to beat the rush. My parents and I have been waiting since 1991. We feel forgotten by the government. We hope that this time it will be different."

"I don't have this type of ID card," says one middle-aged woman joining the queue. "I have a residence permit. Will this be a problem?"

No one has the answers and few feel absolutely certain about their chances of finally securing citizenship.

Aris, a 47-year-old teacher, considers himself one of the lucky ones. He was issued a 10-year-duration Special ID Card in July.

"I was very happy to learn about the news, it's great," he says. "I hope that I will now qualify for citizenship. It has been years since I applied [for citizenship]. I hope that everything will turn out well. I have been hoping that this day will come for many years."

Albanian-born Aris, whose grandparents and parents are Greek citizens, applied for citizenship back in 2003. His application has since been collecting dust at the interior ministry.

According to George Trihas, spokesman and founding member of the local Forum of Ethnic Greek Albanian Organisations, the government's decision to naturalise Northern Epirotes residing in Greece is a "step in the right direction".

"But we still do not know what the procedure will entail," says Trihas. "I estimate that about 60,000 Northern Epirotes will have acquired citizenship before the next general elections which will probably be in about a year. This is how many currently have one of those special ID cards that are valid for 10 years."

Trihas is not one of them. His three-year-duration ID card expires next year. "I do not understand why the government will make us wait until we obtain the 10-year ID card in order to apply for citizenship... I believe that the [ND] government is afraid of the 250,000 new citizens because polls have shown Northern Epirotes would vote for Pasok if they had the right to vote."

It's political

In August last year, Prokopis Pavlopoulos told parliament that the government will not grant Greek citizenship to Northern Epirotes until Albania promises to respect dual (Greek and Albanian) citizenship.

"It is well known that as regards people of Greek descent from Northern Epirus there is a longstanding policy from all Greek governments," he told parliament. "Until the Albanian government signs a bilateral agreement that says that the acquisition of Greek citizenship will not result in consequences like withdrawal of Albanian citizenship... we cannot proceed with such a measure. This is not policy of only this government, but of previous government."

It is unclear what has changed since then and why the government is going to proceed with naturalising Northern Epirotes. Albania and Greece have not signed any new bilateral agreement.

Main opposition Pasok is accusing the ND government of launching a pre-election spree to woo voters. An additional quarter of a million eligible voters represent nearly 3 percent of the entire electorate.

Addressing parliament, Pasok leader George Papandreou asked the government why it had rejected a proposal tabled by his party last year to naturalise the Northern Epirotes.

According to Pasok MP Grigoris Niotis (a former deputy foreign minister), Pasok has long lobbied in favour of Northern Epirotes' Greek citizenship rights and will encourage the government to naturalise "all of them".

"Back in 2003 when we [Pasok] tabled legislation to naturalise the Northern Epirotes, New Democracy attacked us because it said we were trying to do this ahead of the [2004] general elections," says Niotis. "We agreed to withdraw it until after the elections... Why did New Democracy wait three years?"

"Even if it is now about a year ahead of the elections, we will not do what they [New Democracy] did to postpone this matter any further," adds Niotis. "We are very supportive. It's been a long time coming."

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Timeline

1991 Mass exodus of Albanians. Ethnic Greeks (Northern Epirotes) from Albania are registered by the Greek government

1995 Northern Epirotes begin to mobilise for Greek citizenship rights. They hold their first massive demonstration in Athens. The Greek government offers them a special five-year-duration visa

1997 Northern Epirotes mobilise for citizenship. Seventy pitch a tent at Klafthmonos Square near the interior ministry. They hold a hunger strike

1998 Northern Epirotes march in Athens to demand Greek citi-zenship. The government offers them a so-called Special ID Card for Aliens of Hellenic Descent, which is valid for three years

2003 Main opposition New Democracy accuses the Pasok government of trying to lure voters in the upcoming general elections by naturalising Northern Epirotes. Pasok puts its plans on hold

2004 Northern Epirotes march in Athens

2005 Pasok MPs raise the matter in parliament during a reading of the government's new immigration law. However, Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos says that Northern Epirotes in Greece cannot acquire Greek citizenship until the Albanian government ensures that it will respect their right to dual citizenship

2006 The government says it will finally naturalise Northern Epirotes