Since the early 1990s, Greece has faced a tremendous challenge: to live peacefully and democratically with individuals and groups that are perceived as being culturally ‘Other’. The current circumstances with the arrival of refugees and immigrants in Greece from countries and regions that are at war in the Middle East has radically brought to the forefront issues of understanding, coexistence and acceptance of the new forms of cultural diversity. The presentation addresses the ways cultural difference is perceived and dealt with based on the example of Albanian immigrants who have been living in Greece since the early 1990s.

At present, Albanian immigrants constitute the largest immigrant community in Greece. The presentation draws on ethnographic material collected during a 10-month fieldwork in the cities of Thessaloniki and Athens. The research explored aspects of the immigration experience, as reflected in issues of identity and integration, education, employment, housing, health and social welfare, participation in social and political life, acquisition of citizenship and the reporting and presentation of Albanian immigrants by the mass media. — How does such experiences from Greece compare with Danish experiences?