Young, educated people with good potentials are leaving southern Europe (Greece, Portugal, Italy, Spain) to seek a better future in the northern Europe.
The Guardian newspaper features an extensive report on intra-European migration and mentions that the big migration flow started in 2008, when fuelled by a deep recession in southern Europe, tens of thousands of young people left Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece for a better future.
“Low cost flight companies, the Erasmus exchange programme and technologies such as Skype have deeply influenced Europeans’ behaviour, expanded travel horizons and incentivised a blending of European cultures”, mentions the article.
According to recent statistic data, unemployment of young people in Greece and Spain has reached 53%.
It is estimated that about 200,000 young Portuguese people left their country and moved to the north, whereas Spanish young who left Spain totaled 133,000. However, there are no official statistic data for Greece.
On the other hand, United Kingdom seems to be a privileged place for immigrants from southern countries.
According to the Guardian, “UK’s Office for National Statistics reported a rise of 58,000 migrants in the 12 months to September 2013, mainly fuelled by the recession-hit southern European countries of Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece, as well as Poland”.
Ask me anything
Explore related questions