Immigration remains a leading political issue for many nations on the global stage, and Greece is no exception.

As the left continues to support pro-immigrant policies, conservatives in Greece are urging the government to reform national policy to better balance the needs of the local population with those of immigrants. The Greek government’s actual long-term immigration plan has been shrouded in mystery, fanning the flames of public discourse.

However, several flaws in national policy can be identified by examining the official model for the integration of refugees and asylum seekers found on the Greek government’s website. Firstly, this policy states from the outset that its goal is not to assimilate migrants or make them compatible with Greek society, but instead to fundamentally alter Greece’s cultural framework for the sake of “diversity, tolerance, and social cohesion.”

An excerpt from the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum’s official model for social cohesion.

It is equally alarming that the model outlines no plan for the eventual return of these migrants to their home country. Under the current framework, those who cross our borders will remain here indefinitely, meaning that “access to necessary goods,” such as healthcare and financial assistance, is indefinite. In other words, third-country nationals who come to Greece will never have an incentive to work, pay taxes, or leave the country, because the Greek government has ensured their permanent status as welfare recipients.

Another provision of the national plan outlines how the policy intends to “combat racism and xenophobia.” Here, Greece needs to look no further than the rhetoric of anti-racism similarly transplanted in the United States over the past decade, which has been undeniably co-opted.

Let it be said that neither Greeks nor Americans innately seek violence or hate against any group. However, the label of “racist” has been freely applied to anyone who questions the immigration agenda or supports national homogeneity. First in America and now in Greece, dismantling racism and xenophobia remains a coded method of suppression for all dissenting voices.

For these reasons, Greece’s official policy on immigration is short-sighted and contrary to the interests of the Greek people. The fact that the Greek government has not formalized a time expiration for refugee status ensures that they will never be incentivized to conform to Greek customs or contribute to society through tax obligations or economic production. This denigrates Greek culture and the Greek people at the expense of foreigners.

KTE calls upon the Greek government to prioritize its local population above all else. Changing the ethnic composition of the Greek state is not a policy that is desirable for Greeks. By replacing our people with a foreign-born population, we are changing the culture, customs, and norms that Greece was founded upon.

Our ancient philosophers defined a nation as a people who share culture, religion, blood, and language. The Hellenic people must resist redefining the state to accommodate increasingly diverse groups with whom we have none of these things in common. Greece’s current policy on refugees and asylum seekers not only weakens the state’s efficacy, but also undermines the Greek people’s status as the ethnos upon which the state is founded.