SOS: Citizenship adrift, Interesting read !!!!

[Morphesau]

Hope it's in the right section?

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So much for the principle of jus sanguinis (the conferral of citizenship to persons with a citizen parent, parents or blood), hundreds of thousands of ethnic Greek Albanians say they feel betrayed by the 'motherland'

KATHY TZILIVAKIS

Ethnic Greeks from Albania took to the streets of downtown Athens in May 2003 to demand Greek citizenship. They will do the same again in May

IN AN ideal world, all persons of Greek nationality would have an unequivocal right to Greek citizenship. But it's not an ideal world.

Albanian-born Aris is of Greek nationality. That's according to his Special Identity Card for Aliens of Hellenic Descent - a temporary residence and work permit issued by the ministry of public order. The 47-year-old, however, wants citizenship.

"I'm Greek," bellows Aris, taking out the official public order ministry document that lists his nationality from a folder containing dozens of similar records that he says is more than enough proof of his Greekness. "My grandparents are Greek. My parents are Greek... It's terribly unfair for Greece to deny me Greek citizenship. It just doesn't make any sense. Why don't they want to give me citizenship?"

His latest application for citizenship has been collecting dust at the interior ministry since June 2003. His first application had been almost immediately rejected by the authorities.

Aris, an English-language teacher from a small town in Southern Albania, moved to Athens with his Albanian wife in 1991 - the year of a mass exodus of Albanians seeking a better life across the border. In 1992, Aris obtained the special identity card issued to persons of Greek descent born abroad. It was valid for three years.

"I thought this was a first step to Greek citizenship," he says. "That's what we were told, but they lied. I have been renewing it ever since. I have to renew it again in June... To make matters worse, the government has stopped issuing the three-year cards. My new card will be valid for only six months."

"Something has to be done," adds a distraught Aris. "It's very sad for me, but also for my daughter. At school, she is called Albanian. I tell her she is Greek because she was born in Greece and her family is Greek. It's such an insult when people at her school and in our neighbourhood treat us as though we are immigrants."

Aris' losing battle to acquire Greek citizenship is not unique. As many as a quarter of a million ethnic Greeks from Albania currently live in Greece with little hope of citizenship. Known as Northern Epirotes or Voreioepeirotes in Greek, they are being denied citizenship and subsequently being deprived of a broad range of civil and political rights.

According to a survey of students and graduates who identify themselves as Voreioepeirotes, eight in 10 said they are being treated like second-class citizens. The research, which was conducted by the University of Macedonia in northern Greece last year, also found that 32 percent are unsure about their future in Greece and 21 percent feel marginalised in society. The government's refusal to grant them citizenship was cited as the biggest obstacle in their careers.

Mobilising for change

Thousands of Voreioepeirotes from across the country will gather in Athens in May to hold a major demonstration. The rally is being planned by the local Forum of Ethnic Greek Albanian Organisations - a group aimed at raising public awareness and pushing for change. Organisers say it will be the biggest turnout yet.

"It will be the first major demonstration in more than a year," said Georgios Trihas, the forum's spokesman and founding member. "This is part of our new strategy to make as much noise about our plight as possible... Now is the time to fight for our citizenship rights. We've waited long enough."

According to Trihas, the forum has sent countless letters to the New Democracy government, including Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, calling for a solution to the problem. Not one of the letters was answered.

"It's like talking to a wall," he says. "They are not interested in finding a solution. The matter is not on the government's agenda and many of the New Democracy MPs either are misinformed, uninformed or indifferent."

The citizenship demand of the Voreioepeirotes, however, is gaining increasing political support from the backbenchers, including main opposition party Pasok and the Coalition of the Left (Synaspismos).

Pasok MP Grigoris Niotis (a former deputy foreign minister) told a gathering of Voreioepeirotes in Athens on March 19 that his party will lobby for their citizenship rights in the parliament.

"We are at a good stage - the final stage," he told the packed hall at a downtown Athens hotel. "One way or another we will find a solution."

Responding to critics in the audience who accused the former Pasok government of not doing this while in power, Niotis said that his government was forced to back down from tabling legislation in 2004 after New Democracy accused them of scheming to lure new voters ahead of the general election.

Pasok MPs tabled two proposals since the start of the year in favour of citizenship rights for the Voreioepeirotes.

"The leader of Pasok [George Papandreou] has promised to solve your problems when he gets to power," said Niotis. The next general election is scheduled for 2008.

'Albania's the problem'

The matter was last debated in the parliament during a reading of the government's new immigration law in August. It was raised by Pasok MP Mihail Pantoulas.

Speaking on behalf of the government, Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos explained that Voreioepeirotes in Greece cannot acquire Greek citizenship until the Albanian government ensures that it will respect their rights to dual citizenship. He said that they currently risk losing their Albanian citizenship and subsequent rights to property in Albania if they were to obtain Greek citizenship.

"It is well known ladies and gentlemen that as regards people of Greek descent from Northern Epirus there is a long-standing policy from all Greek governments," Pavlopoulos explained. "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 [to grant citizenship]. This is not policy of only this government, but of previous government... The government is doing everything possible to pressure the Albanian government to sign this agreement."

Trihas disagrees. He says that Albania's constitution already recognises dual citizenship. "We will not lose our Albanian citizenship if we at last acquire Greek citizenship," he says. "Not only that, our ties to Albania will be strengthened if we get Greek citizenship - European Union citizenship. And this would be in Greece's best interest."

[Slayer]

Interesting one, would the Greek government be holding off on granting the Greeks in Albania citizenship due to a possible claim on Northern Epirus down the track?
If the Greek population stays strong in the region then you never know.