Greece in talks with India over labour agreement, raises due diligence concerns

Greece’s approach to India for the workforce is a matter of recent days which is raising certain concerns of credibility. The Government of Greece has come up with an agreement with India to have a labour force from the nation.

The agreement by the Government of Greece provides the signal of the idea of having an improved and strengthened workforce in the country due to the shortage it has been facing. As with every new introduction, the matter of concerns always align. 

Here, it is a matter of Due Diligence. A report by the Press Editorials has come forward that stated the fact that the labour force arriving in Greece will raise security concerns as there will be no proof involved that all the people arriving for work purposes have a clean background.

There is no doubt that such an initiative will address the labour shortage and will offer contributions economically. This is because of the arrival of skilled or semi-skilled workers. However, on turning the table around, the integrity and credibility issue is something that is a major concern.

The impression of this has been taken from the lessons learnt from other nations like Canada who have been welcoming work force from other nations. In such countries, the crime rate has been seen taking an upsurge due to the significant count of individuals in the nations with criminal backgrounds. 

Similarly, such false scenarios can be projected with Greece as well, that can affect the safety and security of the country because, any person with criminal records or clear records can come to the country through work visa.

“The challenge lies in setting up a comprehensive vetting framework that can prevent the entry of undesirables, thereby protecting the country’s social and economic interests,” reported Press Editorials.

With the statement mentioned, the challenges would come in the way and an appropriate framework is required. The agreement made with India is the part of the developments in Greece’s labour migration strategy which was announced on February 9 by Dimitris Kairidis, the Minister of Migration and Asylum of Greece through a radio broadcast.  

And since the pact was announced, 2000 applications have already been received, and even more are projected in the coming days. The projection has stated that it could reach 2,00,000 due to the great interest among the people. To ensure safety and security, there is a need for transition that can led to smoother operations for welcoming the workforce. 

Pushing Due Diligence procedures can ensure the success of the initiative in the positive means that can control all the issues dealing with the increase in crime rate in Greece. This as well would ensure that they meet necessary legal and ethical standards.

There have been two ways mentioned that can work in an appropriate way. The first one has been suggested as the applicants under option must have to go through due diligence that would ensure accountability and verification.

Another way has been highlighted as an alternative option that states that the applicants would have to pay due diligence fees to the approved international agencies. These further will conduct the background checks, ensuring the safety of the country. On its completion, this has to be submitted to Greek authorities by the applicant and Due Diligence agency.

The cross reference done by dual submission says it all about the safe and secure arrivals of the workforce to Greece. This event would enhance the position of the Government of Greece among the people of the country.

Although, here as well the concern of the European Union can be outlined as they state that the countries who issue golden visas, despite having the procedures of Due Diligence involved lack in the procedure. 

Such a concern directly targets the countries who have visa-free waivers and are the participants in the golden visa scheme. According to them, there is a need to strengthen the due diligence procedures so overall safety and security can be assured. These should strictly not include illegal activities like money laundering and terrorism.