STRUGGLING ONCE AGAIN: Immigration during the recession

Not long ago we were all living in a world where worrying too much about our future was not part of our lives. In the last few years this image has changed, being replaced by the agony of what tomorrow may bring.

The 21^st century recession in Greece came sweeping us off our feet, crushing most people’s dreams and plans about the future and sinking us into uncertainty. People who have been working for most part of their lives lost their jobs and the country’s population does not smile anymore.

But keeping in mind that we are still at home surrounded by our loved ones is good enough a reason to bring a smile to our faces. Others are less fortunate and have been forced to flee their own countries in order to survive.

Coming to Greece in hope for a better future, thousands of immigrants have resided here in the last few decades. However, the struggle for survival has come knocking their door once again and they now face a dilemma. Should they stay or should they go?

Deciding to leave the country is not an easy choice at all since there is a vast majority of immigrants who have been here for more than a decade and are accustomed to living in Greece. Many have created families and their children grow up as natives and others have married Greeks and are even more incorporated in the greek society.

Ali Rahsan, 45, is a carpet shop owner from Iran who has been living here for the past twenty years. His wife is from Crete and they have a 12-year old girl. “The last three years the shop’s revenue has dropped 40-50%”, says Ali about his business. The situation is very difficult and he continues saying that “My wife and daughter have been long asking me to move to Iran, but I wish to stay here and keep trying.”

Going back for an Iranian is a tough choice since their country is ruled by a theocratic regime. Those who do not share the political views of the President and the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran are not treated equally in the professional field. One of Ali’s brothers is a civil engineer who has been unemployed for years because he does not support the government.

Finding a job in Iran is not the issue for Ali because working hard here in Greece has paid off and he has made investments in Iran that can provide for him and his family. Censorship is the real issue here and this is why he does not wish to return and will keep on fighting in order to maintain his freedom of speech.

His brother Javar, however, has made his decision to go back no matter how the situation is in Iran. The 30-year old has been working with his brother for the last three years because he cannot find any other kind of job. “Since work has dropped so much in the shop I have decided to move back to Iran in a couple of months and see what I can do there.”

Javar is not the only one choosing to leave Greece as things are looking grimmer by the day. Many immigrants and not just Iranians are migrating once again because they do not have jobs or are paid so little that they cannot support themselves anymore.

Muhammad, a 27-year old Egyptian, has been living and working here for the last five years. Now he is employed as a roaster in a local rotisserie in Gerakas as his previous job in the construction no longer exists.  

He works in a suffocating atmosphere from 12 in the morning to 12 at night every single day, but still makes barely enough to pay for the very basic. “I have about seven Egyptian friends who have already left because they couldn’t afford rent and food”, he says.

 “I am going to leave eventually. I’m just waiting for the elections in Egypt and see how the new government will act in the first year and then go back”, Muhammad adds.

Immigration is experiencing its own crisis not only in Greece but in almost all member states of the EU. Percentages vary from country to country but there are cases like the Czech Republic and Ireland where it has been reduced almost by 50%. The OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) states in its recently published 2011 International Migration Outlook report that the overall migration has decreased by 7%.

Prospects for the resolution of the economic crisis are not looking good in the foreseeable future. It is anticipated that the situation might be even worse in the next few months and more immigrants will be forced to leave Greece.

Hundreds or perhaps even thousands like Ali who have been postponing their decision because of the unstable or unfavorable conditions in their countries will have no other choice.

“Returning to Iran was never an option for me, but if this goes as bad as I think it will in the following year, I’ll force myself to do it.”, he says.