Migration, variation and institutions of reception in Greece: the best of social inclusion

The book entitled Migration, variation and institutions of reception in Greece authored among others by Anna Triandafyllidou and Michaela Maroufof highlights the fact that Greece has changed from a sending country of immigrants to a migrant receiving country. It is hard to determine their exact number, given the extent of illegal entries into Greek territory. Most of them come from societies with a different cultural background, leading them to different behavioral patterns than those of the indigenous people, a fact which is linked to their marginalization. Migrants are the “others”, the “foreigners”, the “weirdoes”. Under these circumstances the migrants’ integration in the Greek society, of which they are active members, seems impossible or to the least, demands of them to abandon their cultural identity.
Nevertheless, their integration in the social web is a crucial test for the Greek society’s democratic maturity and its political system. From this point of view, the related legal initiative consists a bold step. The reactions which provoke phobic syndromes by invoking ideations should not lead to the annulment of the project or its limiting to frail regulations. There is no doubt that this issue is linked to many parameters and it’s not only a matter of legal policy. The essays of this volume explore the multidimensional character contributing in a comprehensive way to its resolution beyond intolerance and populism.