Greece plans to offer financial support for border village settlement

ATHENS

Greece is set to provide financial incentives to its citizens who decide to settle in villages along the Evros River, which delineates the border with Türkiye, according to a proposed legislative measure.

Social Cohesion and Family Affairs Minister Sofia Zacharaki has introduced a bill to the parliament that envisages a 10,000 euros ($10,500) subsidy for families opting for permanent residence in the villages of Soufli, Orestiada, and Didymoteicho —strategically situated along the border in the Evros region.

Under the legislation, which is expected to secure parliamentary approval, households relocating to settlements with fewer than 500 residents will be eligible for the full 10,000 euros grant.

Those settling in areas with a population exceeding 500 will receive 6,000 euros, with additional increments of 1,000 euros per child, up to a maximum of 10,000 euros.

Designed exclusively for the Evros region, this legislative framework is embedded within a comprehensive demographic reinforcement, development and reconstruction strategy. The total allocation for the program stands at 8 million euros.

Amid the demographic imbalance between urban and rural populations, Greece is also grappling with persistently low birth rates.

Greece, which saw its lowest number of births in 2022, plans to spend 20 billion euros ($22 billion) through 2035 on incentives to halt the decline, including cash benefits and tax breaks, its family ministry said.

Greece currently spends around 1 billion euros a year on pro-child measures but, like other European countries, to little effect.