New financial incentives worth €5,000 ($5,800) have been announced for people living, working or considering relocating to the Greek border island of Kastellorizo.
Public servants and uniformed personnel serving on the island will receive a permanent annual salary incentive of €5,000, while a separate €5,000 incentive will be offered to people who relocate to the island and settle there long term.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the measures during a visit to Kastellorizo on Sunday, marking the 83rd anniversary of the island’s liberation from the Italians during World War II, while also sending a clear message to Turkey over Greece’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“We don’t accept threats and we don’t issue any threats,” the prime minister said, amid longstanding tensions with Turkey over sovereignty and maritime rights in the region.
Mitsotakis emphasized that “we are ready to defend our national integrity and our sovereign rights,” while noting that dialogue “represents a choice born of self-confidence and faith in International Law…The message emanating from Megisti (the official name of Kastellorizo) transcends national borders, because its territory is also European.”
“Kastellorizo proves that no challenge is insurmountable when there is unity and faith, courage and perseverance. We were saddened by the 2010 image of the island, when Kastellorizo was chosen as the backdrop for the country’s entry into the bailout era—an association the island did not deserve, and one that will be forgotten along with that period and the events that followed,” Mitsotakis stressed. “Today, here on the island and across Greece, things are very different.”
‘Duty toward Kastellorizo’
“It is the legacy of pride that inspires us and defines our duty toward Kastellorizo today,” the Greek prime minister continued. “We are bolstering its security, supporting its development, and steadily improving the daily lives of its residents. Through reduced taxes and a permanent 30 percent cut on VAT. Through fuel subsidies, the abolition of the unified property tax (ENFIA), and special incentives for public servants serving here, as well as for businesses that invest and create jobs,” he noted.
The Greek Prime Minister continued with new support measures for Kastellorizo: “We are introducing a permanent annual salary incentive of €5,000 for personnel across all public services, security personnel, and the armed forces serving on the island—a measure that will operate in conjunction with an additional package of incentives from the Ministry of the Interior.
“To support the local community—as well as those considering a fresh start here—we are establishing a relocation and residency incentive of €5,000 per year per household. This amount is tax-free and exempt from seizure. This will increase by €1,000 ($1,160) for each minor child. The only requirement is a minimum of one full year of residency, the PM said.
Dividents and public works
“For permanent residents already living here, the financial aid will be provided in early 2027. For new residents, payments will begin in 2028 and continue annually thereafter. We are strengthening the island’s connection to mainland Greece and the Dodecanese. Starting early next year, we are adding an extra subsidized weekly service to the Piraeus–Rhodes–Kastellorizo route, significantly boosting travel options to the island,” Mitsotakis continued.
“We will complete dozens of major projects—ranging from the restoration of the main port and the modernization of the airport and road network to the installation of new desalination plants. These initiatives also include the appointment of permanent teaching staff, the introduction of digital tools in schools, and the regular deployment of mobile units for preventive health screenings.
“Hellenic Energy will undertake the complete renovation of older housing units to provide free accommodation for all public sector professionals—doctors, teachers, port authority personnel, and others. None of these measures are random or piecemeal. “These are the components of a unified policy declaring that there are no two-tier citizens,” the Greek prime minister emphasized.
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