Greece Turns To Egyptian Farm Workers To Tackle Growing Agricultural Labour Shortage

Greece is set to bring in up to 5,000 seasonal farm workers from Egypt as it seeks to address persistent labour shortages that are affecting agricultural production across the country.

The move activates a bilateral agreement between Greece and Egypt that was signed in 2022 but has only recently begun to be implemented at scale. Under the scheme, Egyptian nationals will be able to take up legal seasonal employment in Greek agriculture, helping growers fill vacancies that domestic recruitment has struggled to address.

According to reports, the agreement allows for the employment of up to 5,000 Egyptian seasonal workers in agricultural roles across Greece. Workers can be employed for periods ranging from 90 days to nine months during a calendar year.

The initiative comes as Greece continues to grapple with labour shortages driven by demographic pressures, a shrinking workforce and the long-term effects of worker migration during the country's economic crisis. Agricultural employers, alongside businesses in tourism and construction, have reported ongoing difficulties in recruiting sufficient staff.

The agricultural sector remains a significant employer within the Greek economy, making access to seasonal labour a critical issue for growers and food producers.

The agreement is also being viewed as part of a broader effort to create legal migration pathways while reducing irregular migration flows. Egyptian authorities will be responsible for selecting and vetting workers before their deployment to Greek farms.

The development highlights a challenge being faced by many agricultural economies across Europe: securing a reliable seasonal workforce to support food production. As labour availability becomes an increasingly important issue for growers, governments are exploring a range of solutions, including bilateral labour agreements and targeted migration schemes.

For the fresh produce sector, the Greek-Egyptian agreement serves as another example of how access to labour is becoming a strategic issue for food security, crop production and supply chain resilience across Europe.