TIRANA, Sept. 22 – Greek border authorities have refused entry to dozens of Albanians who were trying to go to the neighboring country to work temporarily in agriculture, a common practice over the past years, local media reported.
Greece has imported seasonal workers from Albania at harvest time for years. Grapes are now in season.
The Albanian workers were told they needed financial guarantees in the hundreds of euros before traveling.
The Albanians said they were trying to go to work for meager wages and they had done so for years.
Greece, faced with a massive economic crisis, has had major unemployment problems of its own in recent years.
The reports did not specify whether the Albanian workers had official permits for employment south of the border.
