A 6 June 2003 report in the Athens News lists six educational institutions offering beginner to advanced Greek language training to adult immigrants, foreigners and expatriates. These schools are located in Athens, Thessaloniki and Hania and, for the most part, cost between 286 euros and 1000 euros (CAN$436 to $1,526 [Canada 3 Nov. 2003]) (Athens News 6 June 2003). According to a volunteer language teacher with the Greek Council of Refugees, Greek language classes tend to be held in the late afternoon and evening so that those who must work during the day can attend (Greek Refugee Council 15 Feb. 2002).

In addition to requiring Greek language skills for citizenship purposes (Athens News 8 Feb. 2002), immigrants and migrants must have advanced language skills to obtain employment in the Greek public sector or to attend higher education facilities (ibid. 28 Feb. 2003). Since 1998, the Greek Ministry of Education has held annual Certificate of Attainment in Greek exams to certify individuals on a four-point scale of language ability (ibid.).

A four-year programme to integrate immigrants announced in January 2003 includes the creation of counselling centres on health, welfare, education and employment, vocational training initiatives and the promotion of intercultural education (ibid. 31 Jan. 2003). By July 2003, none of the 60 million euros (CAN$91 million [Canada 3 Nov. 2003]) earmarked for the first year of the programme had been spent (Athens News 18 July 2003).

Children

In 1999-2000, almost 100,000 repatriated Greeks, migrants and refugee children attended school in the Greek public school system (ibid. 16 May 2003). In a 2003 article criticizing the school system for "'failing migrant students,'" the inability to learn the Greek language was cited as a primary barrier to graduation (ibid.). Further, the report cites a survey of school dropouts in which some 54 per cent claimed to have received little assistance from teachers in learning Greek (ibid.). In March 2003, Athens News reported that many schools are "largely unprepared to work with students whose native language is not Greek" and cited as the reason for this a "crippling lack of resources" (ibid. 14 Mar. 2003). In an effort to assist immigrant children, the Athens-based NGO Social Work Foundation runs two "multicultural education centres" in the Athens suburbs of Neo Cosmos and Aegaleo that have helped over 450 children (ibid. 16 May 2003).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Athens News. 18 July 2003. Kathy Tzilivakis. "Integration Plans Get the Scissors." http://www.athensnews.gr/athweb/nathens.print_unique?e=C&f=13023&m=A15&aa=1&eidos=S [Accessed 30 Oct. 2003]

_____. 6 June 2003. Kathy Tzilivakis. "Let's Learn Greek." http://www.athensnews.gr/athweb/nathens.print_unique?e=C&f=13017&m=A14&aa=1&eidos=S [Accessed 3 Nov. 2003]

_____. 16 May 2003. Kathy Tzilivakis. "'Schools Failing Migrant Students'." http://www.athensnews.gr/athweb/nathens.print_unique?e=C&f=13014&m=A15&aa=1&eidos=S [Accessed 3 Nov. 2003]

_____. 3 March 2003. Kathy Tzilivakis. "The ABCs of Racial Balancing." http://www.athensnews.gr/athweb/nathens.print_unique?e=C&f=13005&m=A17&aa=2&eidos=S [Accessed 30 Oct. 2003]

_____. 28 February 2003. "Take the Greek Proficiency Test." http://www.athensnews.gr/athweb/nathens.print_unique?e=C&f=13003&m=A17&aa=2&eidos=S [Accessed 3 Nov. 2003]

_____. 31 January 2003. Kathy Tzilivakis. "Next Stop: Integration." http://www.athensnews.gr/athweb/nathens.print_unique?e=C&f=12999&m=A17&aa=1&eidos=S [Accessed 30 Oct. 2003]

_____. 8 February 2002. Kathy Tzilivakis. "The Rules of Greek Citizenship." http://www.athensnews.gr/athweb/nathens.print_unique?e=C&f=12948&m=A13&aa=1&eidos=S [Accessed 23 Oct. 2003]

Canada. 3 November 2003. Bank of Canada. "Currency Converter." http://www.bankofcanada.ca/en/exchform.htm [Accessed 3 Nov. 2003]

Greek Refugee Council. 15 February 2002. Sofia Pachi. "Report of Visit to London 7-10 February 2002." http://www.refugeenet.org/doc/London_Report_GCR2.doc [Accessed 3 Nov. 2003]