Greece Expands Border Region Relocation Incentives After Weak Initial Uptake

Greek Social Cohesion and Family Minister Domna Michailidou has announced increased incentives for Greeks relocating to the Evros border region, after the government's original resettlement program drew far fewer participants than expected.

Speaking during debate on legislation regarding personal assistants for people with disabilities, Ms. Michailidou said the relocation program launched properly in Evros

In response, she said the government increased the flat relocation grant to €10,000 regardless of city size, up from a previous tiered system offering €5,000 for larger towns and €10,000 for smaller ones.

The government will also now offer a 50% advance payment upfront and has eliminated a prior employment requirement that forced applicants to secure a job contract before relocating.

The updated provisions, included in the personal assistant bill, also allow residents of other EU member states and university graduates based in the relevant municipalities to participate, while simplifying eligibility requirements that had proven difficult to meet.

Responding to criticism from Greek Solution parliamentary spokesman Konstantinos Chitas, who argued the program had effectively failed after only two applications were approved, Ms. Michailidou said both approved applicants had received their first installment, worth €5,000 and €3,000 respectively.

She said the remaining 560 applicants had submitted false information, claiming to be relocating despite having lived in the target areas for years or decades.

"Greek public administration worked, understood this, and clearly did not pay these people," she said, maintaining the program had not failed and noting it is being expanded to additional regions under pressure from New Democracy and PASOK lawmakers.

"We have no illusions. The relocation program is not a panacea," Ms. Michailidou said, adding that combined with other government policies and individual family circumstances, she hopes eligible households will take advantage of it.

Mr. Chitas requested that residents of Epirus, Western Macedonia, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, and the North and South Aegean not be excluded from the program.

Ms. Michailidou said the goal is not simply to shift people between regions that both face demographic decline.

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Greek Social Cohesion and Family Minister Domna Michailidou has announced increased incentives for Greeks relocating to the Evros border region, after the government's original resettlement program drew far fewer participants than expected.

Speaking during debate on legislation regarding personal assistants for people with disabilities, Ms. Michailidou said the relocation program launched properly in Evros but "did not see the uptake we wanted."

In response, she said the government increased the flat relocation grant to €10,000 regardless of city size, up from a previous tiered system offering €5,000 for larger towns and €10,000 for smaller ones.

The government will also now offer a 50% advance payment upfront and has eliminated a prior employment requirement that forced applicants to secure a job contract before relocating.

The updated provisions, included in the personal assistant bill, also allow residents of other EU member states and university graduates based in the relevant municipalities to participate, while simplifying eligibility requirements that had proven difficult to meet.

Responding to criticism from Greek Solution parliamentary spokesman Konstantinos Chitas, who argued the program had effectively failed after only two applications were approved, Ms. Michailidou said both approved applicants had received their first installment, worth €5,000 and €3,000 respectively.

She said the remaining 560 applicants had submitted false information, claiming to be relocating despite having lived in the target areas for years or decades.

"Greek public administration worked, understood this, and clearly did not pay these people," she said, maintaining the program had not failed and noting it is being expanded to additional regions under pressure from New Democracy and PASOK lawmakers.

"We have no illusions. The relocation program is not a panacea," Ms. Michailidou said, adding that combined with other government policies and individual family circumstances, she hopes eligible households will take advantage of it.

Mr. Chitas requested that residents of Epirus, Western Macedonia, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, and the North and South Aegean not be excluded from the program.

Ms. Michailidou said the goal is not simply to shift people between regions that both face demographic decline.

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