A visiting delegation of officials from Greece spent an afternoon with numerous representatives of Greek Australian organisations as they discussed the subject of Greek citizenship with a very clear and direct message: “Greece needs you!”.
The delegation spoke directly with the representatives at the event organised by the Greek Consulate Beta Bar in Sydney on Wednesday afternoon (8 October), speaking directly on matters concerning citizenship and how Greek Australians can apply for it.
Athanasios Balermpas (Secretary General for Home Affairs & Organisation, Ministry of Interior), Dimitrios Karnavos (Secretary General for Citizenship, Ministry of the Interior), and Katerina Ouli (General Manager for Citizenship) all shared insights into the topic.
A central theme that arose is the notion that digital advancements will help simplify the process, with their ultimate aim being for as many Greeks of the diaspora as possible to gain citizenship.
“We are eager to hear the problems and try to figure out the solutions,” said Balermpas during the discussion.
The meeting explored the significance of citizenship in numerous areas, with a chief point stressed being its ability to help people become eligible to vote in Greek elections.
Karnavos stated the Sydney visit is one of many destinations across Australia and New Zealand the delegation will go to as they look to pass on their information surrounding Greek citizenship.
The event featured an extensive Q&A section with open dialogue a major characteristic of the meeting.
A main point that was emphasised is the need to report every major change (e.g. marriages, births of children, divorces etc.) with the proper documentation to the Consulate, and that doing so at the time each change occurs is the recommended suggestion.
They further noted the proper path for gaining citizenship through the registration method must account for all missing links, i.e. if you wish to apply for citizenship and your grandparent was a citizen but your parent is not, your parent must get registered first as a citizen before you can.
The delegation confirmed that speaking with the Consulate prior to visiting it can clarify what documentation is required for each person’s case, while also highlighting the growing digital developments such as through the Greek state portal (gov.gr) as working to simplify the process as well.
A question was raised on the possibility of being able to simultaneously report all the required documentation instead of having to approve each matter one at a time, with the delegation expressing they are working towards implementing such a model.
The theme of citizenship continued after the meeting as three individuals were officially confirmed of their Greek citizenship.
The individuals participated in a ceremony looked after overseen by Ioannis Loverdos, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, who is the head of the visiting delegation from Greece.
Loverdos expressed immense pride to oversee the ceremony, stating that Greece is not just the land within its geographical borders but also the ideas it has given birth to and that welcoming new citizens is another way of embracing Hellenism.
“We have to stand together if we want to overcome the difficulties of our times,” the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs said.
