The free movement of people, capital, goods and services is the four cornerstones of the EU's existence. Greek citizens are not only free to move and work within Greece, but also to live and work in the other 26 EU member states.
Over the past 30 years, nearly 2 million Greeks have left Greece to study, work and settle in other countries, most of them in EU countries.
Over the past 30 years, more than 2.5 million people have immigrated to Greece through legal and illegal means, and more than 1.95 million people have left Greece.
How many people have emigrated out of Greece and how many have immigrated to Greece over the past 30 years?
In the European Union, Greece is currently a poor country
At the end of 2010, the Greek sovereign debt crisis broke out, and the Greek economy fell into a quagmire, with high unemployment and a massive reduction in high-paying jobs. A large number of young Greeks with higher education cannot find a decent job in Greece; in order to find a good job, they have to leave Greece and emigrate abroad.
In the 10 years from 2008 to 2017, 467765 Greek citizens left Greece to seek work and development opportunities in developed countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom. Of the 500,000 people who left Greece, 51.4 percent were in the prime age group of 25-44 years old, and nearly 70 percent had higher education graduates, who were Greece's elite.
Will the 500,000 Greek elites who lost their lives return to Greece?
Since 2018, the Greek economy has begun to bottom out and begin to recover. The trend of Greek emigration abroad has declined, and even the Greek media can observe the return of Greeks who have emigrated to Greece – observing whether these Greek elites who have emigrated overseas have returned, how they have returned, and the proportion of returns, is a good indicator and a good angle to assess Greece's economic and social development.
While paying attention to the return of Greeks who have emigrated to Greece, I am also paying attention to another question: If there is a higher-paying job, will Greeks who are currently working and living in Greece still choose to emigrate abroad?
Some time ago, I saw a questionnaire in the Greek media in early 2022, and 57.9% of respondents said that if they found a job with a higher income and better conditions, they would emigrate overseas. Among respondents aged 17-24, 77.1% chose "willing"; among respondents aged 25-39, 71.9% chose "willing".
The willingness of young Greeks to migrate for higher incomes is neither surprising nor abrupt. Young Chinese people will do the same if they have a choice. It's human nature.
These Greeks who left Greece mainly went to Germany, Britain, Cyprus, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, the United States, Austria, Belgium and other developed countries of the European Union economy – where they could find a job to support large families, and australia, the United States, Canada and other countries where Greeks traditionally immigrated – mainly through family and friends.
Will the 500,000 Greek elites who lost their lives return to Greece?
From the perspective of the Greek government and the future development of Greece, this is a huge loss for Greece – not only the investment in education that has been spent on these Greeks, but also the contribution and value created by their future Greek economy and society.
Huo Qingchuan
April 30, 2022 in Crete, Greece