Citizenship for North Epirotes

FOREIGN Minister Dora Bakoyannis announced on November 7 that the government will soon pass new legislation for Greeks from North Epirus to finally become eligible for Greek citizenship.

This means that tens of thousands of North Epirotes, known as Voreioepeirotes in Greek, will soon be allowed to turn in their so-called Special Identity Card for Aliens of Hellenic Descent - a temporary six-month-duration residence and work permit issued by the ministry of public order.

The ethnic North Epirotes have organised several mass demonstrations this year calling on the government to recognise their Greek origin and subsequent right to citizenship. It is something that they have been demanding for the last 20 years.

However, when the matter was raised by Pasok MP Mihail Pantoulas in August, Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos explained that Voreioepeirotes in Greece cannot acquire Greek citizenship because the Albanian government does not respect their rights to dual citizenship.

Now, Bakoyannis says this is not a problem. The Albanian constitution recognises dual citizenship.

It remains to be seen what application requirements the Voreioepeirotes will have to fulfil in order to secure Greek citizenship and which government office will be responsible for the procedure. The issuing of citizenship through the process of naturalisation is currently under the interior ministry's jurisdiction. The issuing of Greek identification cards is overseen by the public order ministry.