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January 5, 2012 – As Greece currently experiences economic turmoil, more and more Greeks have been observed to be relocating to Australia in search for a better life.

With the current economic upheaval continually threatening their professional prospects, tens of thousands of Greeks desperate to migrate to Australia have expressed interest in migrating to Australia by sending thousands of letters, emails, and telephone calls to community leaders in suburban Melbourne since June, though there were only less than 2,500 who have actually migrated.

According to Greek community president and lawyer, Bill Papastergiades, these Greeks are all university graduates, engineers, architects, mechanics, teachers, and bankers who are desperate and will do anything for work.
In 2011 alone, about 2,500 Greek citizens under visas for Australia have relocated to Australia though Athens officials say that another 40,000 Greeks have also “expressed interest” in initiating the arduous process of apply visa to Australia to relocate.

It must be noted that as Greece braces to enter its fifth year of recession, the unemployment in the country now stands at a record 18 percent as compared with the Australian economy which is predicted to grow 4 percent in 2012.

Greeks find Australia as a popular destination because of its substantial Hellenic population – of which Australians with Greek ancestry are the seventh largest ethnic group in Australia, numbering approximately 375,000. Melbourne alone has been considered to be the largest Greek city in the world outside of Greece. And in the first six months the previous year, there were 134 permanent visas Australian that were granted to Greeks – of which all but 15 of which were family visa from Australia.

In the same previous year, there were 102 temporary student visas in Australia that were granted to Greek nationals.
Moreover, Australia has topped the list of favored relocation options, according to a recent study of Greek university graduates which revealed that the younger generations of Greeks are turning to more diverse countries such as Russia, China, and Iran.

source:
immigration2australia.com