Guardian: Over 200,000 Greeks migrated due to crisis

Young and talented young Greeks leave Greece for a better life abroad

The British  Guardian’s extensive report, titled “Young, gifted and Greek: Generation G – the World’s biggest brain drain”, refers to more than 200,000 Greeks that have left the country since the financial crisis. The article looks at the phenomenon of migration as many young Greeks head to other European countries in search of work due to the economic downturn while the countdown for the crucial elections on January 25 has begun.

“Of the 2% of the population who have left, more than half have gone to Germany and the UK. Migration outflows have risen 300% on pre-crisis levels, as youth unemployment soars to more than 50%. Around 55% of the workforce affected by record rates of unemployment are under 35 according to Endeavour, the international non-profit group that supports entrepreneurship,” says the article. Despite signs of economic recovery in Greece, the figures of young people searching for a better life abroad remains high.

However, the Guardian concludes by stating that “not everything is lost”, as many of the Greeks who have found professional refuge abroad wish to return in Greece once the country recovers. In fact, experts estimate that these citizens will mark the change that Greece sorely needs.