In recent decades, Greece has been transformed from a sender to a receiver of
migrants. This transformation is here examined with respect to historical
background, theoretical framework and policy framework. While large-scale
migration to Greece from the Balkans commenced only at the end of the 1980’s,
today the source countries of Albania, Bulgaria and Romania account for the
vast majority of migrants in Greece. Newly available data allow examination of
the characteristics of migrants from these countries and the recognition of
important differences by nationality and gender in areas such as gender, age,
marital status, the “family composition” of migration, the move to Greece and
informal networks, occupations of employment, remittance behaviour, and
intended length of stay.
