The Federal Republic of Germany awarded Greek immigrant Gregores Zarkadas with a Medal of Merit for his contribution in building “bridges” between cultures by helping other immigrants.
The Deputy Prime Minister of Hesse state, Jörg-Uwe Hahn, presented Zarkadas with the medal and commented that he is a model citizen and a fantastic example of behavior towards his fellows.
Gregores Zarkadas left for Germany in 1964, looking for a better life. Initially he worked as a laborer in the metal industry, while also being active in the metal union. For 30 years, he worked as a social worker in Frankfurt, at first helping Greek immigrants and then any foreigner. His personal experiences as an immigrant, his involvement with the unions, but also his opposition against the dictatorship led him to become a social worker.
“Immigrants in the ’50s and ’60s were meant to stay one or two years to raise some money and then return to Greece. Most of them, though, didn’t achieve their goal of returning and finally settled permanently. Today’s immigrants bring their families with them and plan on a long-term stay,” he said.
Zarkadas has experienced Germany’s immigration policy both as an immigrant himself and through his work and political activities. He was a member of the city council in Frankfurt for 15 years, and was also in the Foreigners Commission for 5 years.
When asked what he believes should change in Greece’s way of facing immigrants, he emphasized that foreigners’ children who are born in the country should be nationalized. Furthermore, he noted that immigrants should be given work and residence permits if they have lived in Greece for 10 years or more, in order to avoid their exploitation.
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