Due to Greece’s acute agricultural labor shortage, exporters have made urgent requests to lower entrance barriers for using foreign labor.
According to Schengen.News, the shortfall, which is estimated to be 180,000 workers, has left large areas of land uncultivated and crops unharvested, severely hurting farmers and the economy.
According to the National Interprofessional Organization for Table Olives (DOEPEL), up to 30% of the nation’s green olive crop from the 2022–2023 season went unharvested, costing farmers around €27 million in lost agricultural earnings. The expected gap in insurance contributions is more than two million euros.
In response, exporters are pushing for a French-model approach that would simplify the hiring requirements for citizens of third-country nations. 14,000 applications have been submitted to Greece thus far for work residency permits.To solve current shortages, Greece has signed a deal with Egypt to hire 5,000 seasonal laborers for the forthcoming agricultural season. A significant advancement has been made with this project, which has been made possible by a special platform on the website of the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum since June 10, 2024.
