Children in Greece

Greece, as a member of both the United Nations and the European Union, has a record of pursuing sustainable development and equitable growth in line with international and European policies and strategies for decades. The country’s advanced legal framework, solid institutions, and vibrant civil society are evidence of its dedication to human rights, freedom of expression and respect for civil liberties. In addition, Greece, one of the first signatories to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, has always been a firm supporter of children’s rights and committed to ensuring that all children have access to equal opportunity in the country.

Yet, nearly a decade of austerity measures and government spending cuts has taken its toll, particularly on the most vulnerable in Greek society. Poverty presents a significant risk for social exclusion and a range of psychosocial risks for children. In 2017, 36.2% of children in Greece were at risk of poverty (prior to receiving social benefits) and groups, which have long been marginalized in Greece, are at an even greater risk of further exclusion and inequality. For example, the Greek Roma population has faced for decades multiple and inter-connected problems in the areas of housing, education, employment, health, sports, etc. and live in almost total social exclusion in their daily life. In 2001, the Greek Government made an important effort to respond to this issue by adopting an Integrated National Action Plan for the social inclusion of Roma, however implementation of the plan remains challenging .

In addition, continuous migratory flows and the related increased case load of vulnerable children and families put a tremendous strain on Greek public services and structures which exacerbated existing gaps in child protection services including the system of fostering and adoption, issues of child abuse and neglect, and resources at local level, among others. While the Ministry of Education has made commendable efforts to include refugee and migrant children in Greek public schools, more than 60% of school aged refugee children are still outside the public school system.

Finally, data collection and monitoring of the realization of children’s rights remains an area that could be improved. Specifically, the lack of a consistent system of collecting and analyzing disaggregated data on children rights continues to impact the ability of the state to plan and respond effectively.