New Law gives the ability to regain Greek citizenship to surviving Jews of Thessaloniki

Policy Response DateAugust 23, 2011 Country: Greece General Type: Equality/Integration Racism and discrimination phenomena: Anti-semitism
Groups affected / Interested in: Religious minorities Key socio-economic/institutional areas: Political participation, Integration - social cohesion, Daily life

The Article 13 "Rehabilitation of victims of the Holocaust having held the Greek citizenship" of the new Law No.4018 re-accords the Greek citizenship to Israeli citizens born until May 9, 1945 and still being alive, if they had in the past the Greek citizenship by birth, and to their blood descendants.

Minister of Interior, Mr Haris Kastanidis, said that this measure concerns a small amount of people - about 400 (including their children) - who are left alive, born up in 1945 by the then 53,000 Jews of Thessaloniki. They are among the 1,950 survivors and even fewer who survived the Holocaust and moved to Israel, losing the Greek citizenship, despite the fact that they were Greek citizens.

The minister called their request an "honour to Greece," which "we should ascribe to them without conditions or other reasons."

Source: