The Journey to Greek Citizenship: A Review of the Experiences of Long-Term Residents of Migrant Origin: A Study Among Three Groups of Greek Citizenship Applicants: (i) Born in Greece; (ii) Residing in Greece for Over 20 Years; And (iii) Arrived in Greece Less Than 20 Years Ago
Translated title
The Journey to Greek Citizenship: A Review of the Experiences of Long-Term Residents of Migrant Origin
Author
Iotova, Maria
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2023
Submitted on
2023-10-16
Abstract
In Greece, a citizenship application can take up to ten years. Some people of migrant origin have lived there for most or all of their lives without obtaining citizenship. This study explores the experiences of 12 long-term residents of migrant origin as they navigate citizenship rules and procedures, shape their identities, and experience power and powerlessness. A key finding is that the application process lacks clarity and consistency: laws change suddenly, new requirements are poorly communicated to the public, and the bureaucracy is intricate. Using Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of symbolic violence—subtle, non-physical forms of power that lead people to accept rules and hierarchies and can make them feel they do not belong—the analysis shows that state practices in Greece affect not only immigrants’ legal status but also their sense of belonging and agency. By making these power dynamics visible, the thesis opens space for new ways of thinking and talking about citizenship—and how it can ultimately be attained.
I Grækenland kan en ansøgning om statsborgerskab tage op til ti år. Nogle mennesker med migrantbaggrund har boet der hele eller det meste af deres liv uden at få statsborgerskab. Denne undersøgelse ser på erfaringerne hos 12 langtidsbosatte med migrantbaggrund i deres møde med regler og praksisser for statsborgerskab, deres identitetsskabelse og deres følelser af magt og afmagt. Et hovedfund er, at ansøgningsforløbet mangler klarhed og konsekvens: lovgivningen ændres pludseligt, nye krav kommunikeres dårligt til offentligheden, og bureaukratiet er komplekst. Med udgangspunkt i Pierre Bourdieus begreb om symbolsk vold – ikke‑fysiske former for magt, der får mennesker til at acceptere regler og hierarkier og kan få dem til at føle sig mindre værd – viser analysen, at statens praksisser i Grækenland påvirker ikke kun ansøgeres juridiske status, men også deres tilhørsforhold og handlekraft. Ved at synliggøre magtforholdene i statsborgerskabsprocessen peger afhandlingen på nye måder at forstå og tale om statsborgerskab på – og hvordan det i sidste ende kan opnås.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]
Keywords
citizenship ; Greece ; migration ; bureaucracy ; Bourdieu