Greece Opens Applications for 5,000 Seasonal Workers from Egypt

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. The bilateral agreement between Greece and Egypt for employing seasonal agricultural workers has been in effect since June 10.
2. To address labor shortages, Greece plans to bring in workers from Egypt for temporary agricultural jobs this summer.
3. The Greek Parliament finalized the agreement in November 2023, covering 5,000 seasonal farm workers.

As of June 10, 2024, employers can submit applications to hire Egyptian seasonal workers in the agricultural sector through an electronic platform available on the website of Greece’s Migration and Asylum Ministry.

Following an agreement reached in May between Greece and Egypt, the two countries aim to address labor shortages in various sectors.

This agreement includes the recruitment of 5,000 seasonal agricultural workers by 2024.

2,400 Skilled Egyptian Seasonal Workers Already Recruited

Greek media reports that Migration and Asylum Minister Dimitris Kairidis announced that a list of 2,400 qualified Egyptian seasonal workers has already been prepared in cooperation with Egypt’s Ministry of Labour.

“Greece’s cooperation with Egypt on immigration matters is strategically important. Following my recent visit to Cairo, the activation of the electronic platform signals our commitment to immediately implement the agreement, signed in 2022 by then-Foreign Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, for up to 5,000 Egyptian seasonal land workers to cover primary sector gaps,” said Greece's Migration and Asylum Minister Dimitris Kairidis.

The bilateral agreement includes two changes to the permanent transfer procedure:

1. The 5,000 positions are available across Greece from a common pool and are reserved by one-stop services during the processing of the request.
2. The joint pool of candidate workers, proposed by the Egyptian side, is formed according to criteria defined by the Greek authorities (Ministry of Rural Development and Food).

In 2023, the Greek government proposed new laws to update the residence permit process, aiming to grant legal status to nearly 30,000 irregular migrants. To qualify, migrants must prove three years of residence and employment in Greece.

EU Allocates €7.4 Billion to Egypt to Stem Migrant Flow from North Africa to Europe

In March, the European Union announced a "strategic partnership" with Egypt, including a €7.4 billion deal to reduce the flow of migrants from North Africa to Europe. Economic difficulties and limited foreign investment have driven more Egyptians to seek opportunities abroad. Human rights groups have criticized Western support for Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who came to power a decade ago after leading the overthrow of Egypt’s first democratically elected leader.