Ethnic Albanians in Greece
The Balkan Peninsula of the European continent is ethnically, linguistically and religiously one of the most complex areas of the world. Within last two decades, the world community was alerted many times to the repression of the various ethnic minorities in the Balkans. Though much have been said and written about the ethnic minorities of the Balkans region throughout 1980s and 1990s, Greece’s century-old policy of assimilation against its Turkish, Macedonian, Albanian, Vlah and Roma minorities has escaped attention.
The Greek government had officially acknowledged the existence of the Albanian minority in Greece by the Sevres Treaty of August 10, 1920. Yet, in the mid-twentieth century, Greek authorities changed their mind and started to deny the existence of any ethnic minorities within Greek boundaries.
Denial of ethnic identity, brutal forms of assimilation, restrictions on the cultural rights and harassment against minority leaders are the main methods employed by Greece against its ethnic minorities. However, in recent years, in the light of the progressive changes occurring throughout eastern and central Europe and the increasing concern of the international human rights organizations over the minorities of the Balkans, considerable number of minority activists in Greece have dared to speak out against and expose Greece’s long kept secret : That there are Turkish, Macedonian, Albanian, Vlah and Roma minorities in Greece and that they desire to be recognized as such by their government and the world at large.
Ethnic Albanians in Greece can be grouped under three headings :
a)Orthodox Albanians (Arnavitis)
b)Cham Albanians
c)Albanian nationals who have sought refuge in Greece for economic reasons.
Although their predicament may take different forms, there is one characteristic
common to all : persecution.