ACCESS – Publication of a report on the access of elderly and disabled migrants to social rights and citizenship

Fair access to social rights for disabled individuals, as well as for the elderly, is not self-evident.

Moreover, if these individuals come from a migratory background, everything becomes even more challenging.

There are approximately 700,000 third-country nationals living legally in Greece with residence permits under the Migration Code. Third-country nationals face many different challenges at every stage of their residence in the country relating to their access to legal status, basic rights, citizenship as well as social integration.

Despite the fact that third-country nationals are not inherently vulnerable, vulnerability arises as a result of multiple, intersecting forms of discrimination and systemic inequalities. These forms of discrimination are exacerbated by the lack of access to information, by language barriers and by the lack of support services. As a result, they are often discriminated against and excluded from enjouing their rights.

One of the most important aspects of this issue is the vulnerability of certain third-country nationals groups, such as older persons and persons with disabilities. In Greece, these particular categories face increased risks of exclusion from access to citizenship and social rights. The causes of these exclusions can b traced to legislative and institutional gaps, administative malfunctions and the lack of appropriate support structures and integration mechanisms.

Discrimination with regard to disability benefits, pensions, but also to other procedures, such as the acquisition af Greek citizenship, while in breach of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, are not well known, have not scientifically studied or adequately addressed.

For this reason, the team at Generation 2.0 for Rights, Equality & Diversity conducted in-depth research to identify the difficulties, distortions, and injustices within the system, aiming to highlight them and propose solutions.

By gathering data from the individuals we serve daily in the Legal Advisory department of the organization, we were able to identify legislative gaps and administrative shortcomings that affect access to citizenship and social rights for elderly migrants and migrants with disabilities. Key issues faced daily by people seeking our assistance include the difficulty in accessing disability benefits and citizenship for people with disabilities, as well as pensions and legal status for the elderly.

Read and download the report Access – Fair Access to Social Rights.

*The Access project is being implemented as part of the BUILD program, with Generation 2.0 for Rights, Equality & Diversity as the implementing organization.

*The program “Building a robust and democratic civic space” (BUILD) aims to protect, promote, and widely recognize the fundamental rights and values of the EU by supporting Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Greece and Cyprus and strengthening their capacities and sustainability. BUILD is co-financed by the European Union through the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) program, the Bodossaki Foundation, and the NGO Support Center of Cyprus, with a total grant amount of €2.9 million. The coordinator of BUILD is the Bodossaki Foundation (Greece), in partnership with the NGO Support Center (Cyprus).