Linnaeus University School of Social Sciences Peace and Development Studies Spring 2010 Supervisor: Anders Nilsson Welcome to madness The role of Greece as the gatekeeper of Fortress Europe Georgia Dekavalla Sara Sabzian Acknowledgements We would like to thank the Greek people for their hospitality and openness. We would also like to offer our gratitude to all the respondents and apologise in case we have misinterpreted any of their comments. During our fieldwork in Athens, we have met people from many different countries, whose courage has inspired us greatly. Finally, we would like to thank our supervisor Anders Nilsson; without his guidance and support this thesis would not have been possible. Abstract This thesis aims to explore the different aspects of the phenomenon of migration in Greece, as a case study. The choice of country is motivated by its geographical position at Europe’s external borders. In order to gain an insight into the reality that migrants are faced with when searching for a better life in Europe, a field study was conducted in Athens, Greece during a period of six weeks in the spring of 2010. The field work included interviews with various actors and individuals that are directly involved in migration issues, informal discussions with migrants and personal observations. Additionally, secondary sources such as previous studies were used. The framework used to approach the material included elements from neo- institutionalism, hermeneutics as well as critical theory. The most important conclusions reached incorporate that the rights of migrants are not respected in any aspect of the societal sphere, or in other words the three institutional pillars, the regulative, normative and cultural-cognitive. As a result, there are double standards applied to Europeans respective migrants. As a possible cause of the problematic situation described, underlying perceptions of national identity versus “otherness” are identified. These perceptions derive from a deeply rooted acceptance of social constructions such as national borders, as undisputable facts. Key Words: Migration, Greece, Europe, neo-institutionalism, hermeneutics, critical theory Table of contents List of Abbreviations................................................................................................................................ 1 List of Figures and Tables ........................................................................................................................ 1 1. Introduction......................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Aim and context of the study ........................................................................................................ 2 1.2 Research questions........................................................................................................................ 2 1.3 Relevance ...................................................................................................................................... 2 1.4 Structure........................................................................................................................................ 3 2. Analytical Framework.......................................................................................................................... 4 2.1 Neo‐institutional theory................................................................................................................ 4 2.1.1 Institutions.............................................................................................................................. 4 2.1.2 The regulative pillar................................................................................................................ 6 2.1.3 The normative pillar ............................................................................................................... 7 2.1.4 The cultural‐cognitive pillar.................................................................................................... 7 2.2 Hermeneutics ................................................................................................................................ 7 2.3 Critical theory .............................................................................................................................. 10 3. Methodology ................................................................................................................................. 10 3.1 Respondents................................................................................................................................ 11 3.2 Validity and Reliability................................................................................................................. 11 3.3 Limitations during the field work ................................................................................................ 12 4. The European level............................................................................................................................ 12 4.1 European immigration and migration policy............................................................................... 12 4.1.1 The Schengen `acquis` and the Dublin Regulation............................................................... 13 4.2 European values ..........................................................................................................................17 4.2.1 Definition.............................................................................................................................. 17 4.2.2 European values vs. values in Europe .................................................................................. 18 4.2.3 Important principles regarding migration............................................................................ 18 4.3 Attitudes towards immigrants in Europe .................................................................................... 20 4.3.1 Ethnic exclusionism .............................................................................................................. 20 4.3.2 Gatekeeper attitudes throughout Europe............................................................................ 23 4.3.3 The level of informal solidarity throughout Europe............................................................. 24 5. National level..................................................................................................................................... 26 5.1 Greek immigration regulations ................................................................................................... 26 5.2 Greek norms and values.............................................................................................................. 29 5.3 Attitudes towards immigrants from a national perspective ....................................................... 30 5.3.1 The level of economic growth and unemployment ......................................................... 31 5.3.2 The percentage of immigrants living in Greece ............................................................... 32 5.3.3. Trends in migration ......................................................................................................... 34 5.4 Attitudes towards immigrants................................................................................................. 34 5.4.1. Age and sex...................................................................................................................... 34 5.4.2. Education and income..................................................................................................... 35 5.4.3. Employment status and satisfaction with the economic situation................................. 35 5.4.4. The presence of immigrants in the individual’s neighbourhood and friendship with a member of a minority ethnic group.......................................................................................... 36 5.4.5. Ideology ........................................................................................................................... 37 6. Results analysis.................................................................................................................................. 37 6.1 Public discourse and the media................................................................................................... 37 6.1.1 Characteristics of the public discourse on migration........................................................... 40 6.1.2 The language of the current discourse on migration........................................................... 42 6.2 European migration policies and the Dublin Regulation............................................................. 47 6.3 Institutional malpractices and violence ...................................................................................... 49 6.4 Corruption ................................................................................................................................... 53 6.5 Asylum system............................................................................................................................. 54 6.6 The new Government’s changes ................................................................................................. 56 6.7 Xenophobic tendencies among the Greek population................................................................ 58 6.8 Everyday life ...............................................................................................................................