Migrants’ integration in Greece and the role of social and solidarity economy

In the aftermath of the 2015 refugee “crisis”, the integration of asylum seekers and refugees began to feature in the public debate. The traditional picture of Greece, as a reception and transit but not destination country, has shifted to a fragmented integration framework since the 1990s. This paper critically assesses contemporary integration policies in Greece. On one hand, it argues these integration policies are ones of assimilation. On the other hand, it explores the alternative, inclusive framework being introduced by social and solidarity economy practices. Based on qualitative desk and field research conducted in Greece between 2020 and 2021, it discusses how integration has been intertwined with assimilationist perspectives, analyzes the profile of integration policies, and explores the contributions of alternative practices set out by social and solidarity economy initiatives.