The Greek diaspora in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union

had suffered due to their participation in it or due to their
political beliefs was abrogated, including court convictions
that were erased from the records. This law, apart from the
moral rehabilitation aspects, also had some material implications
for the political refugees. Thus, those persons
who had participated in the civil war, those who had been
persecuted, imprisoned or exiled because of their political
beliefs and any other person who had suffered any serious
illness, injury or had been disabled because of the civil war,
was made eligible for a pension by the Greek state if that
person’s incapability to work was more than 25 percent.
Furthermore, wives, unmarried children or sisters and the
parents of people killed or executed during the civil war or
whose incapability to work was 67 percent or more, were
also made eligible to a pension.
Material restoration issues
Recurrent allowances
There are certain recurrent allowances that each political
refugee and his/her family obtain when repatriating. According
to the 1997 schedule for the sums given, the political
refugees were given 40,000 drs. per person for the expenses
of their initial settlement, 60,000 drs. per family for
the transportation expenses of their household appliances,
7,000 drs. funeral expenses, and up to 200,000 drs. for the
transportation of sick relatives to Greece (before readjustment
in 1995 these sums were 10,000 drs., 45,000 drs., 7,000
drs., and 100,000 drs. respectively).
As of 1986, extra financial aid is given to those political
refugees who repatriated after 1 January 1984, are over 18
years old, do not receive any pension and are able to work
but are unemployed. They are given a sum equal to 25 days
of basic salary three times over a period of 18 months (or
over a period of 30 months after 1995). As of 1993, Greek
nationality or citizenship is also required in order to be eligible
for this aid. Apart from that, additional aid of 50,000
drs. is regularly given to those willing to be relocated in
Thrace. Finally, a pension of 15,000 drs. is given to political
refugees who are over 60 years of age if they receive no
pension, are unable to work and have no relatives to take
care of them.
The political refugees complain that the amounts given
are too low to offer any substantial help. For example, the
state provides 60,000 drs. for the transportation of household
appliances, whereas the real cost is no lower than
100.000 drs. Furthermore, the bureaucratic procedures take
too much time which causes difficulties and even makes
some people ‘give up’ the money. Finally, some people are
considered to be ineligible for the aid even if they fulfill the
requirements for it.
Pensions and social security
The pensions and social security issue was one of the most
important matters that needed to be resolved and it was
regulated, not without problems, in 1985. The transfer of
pensions and insurance claims has been in force since 1981
for all Greek emigrants coming from a European Union
country. For all other countries it had to be regulated
through bilateral agreements.
As we have seen, negotiations between Greece and
eastern European countries began in 1977, but an agreement
was only reached with Bulgaria. Until 1986, the Soviet
Union and East Germany paid pensions to the repatri-
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