The EU’s Impending Immigration Crisis?

The consequences of the Greek mess are huge, not just to the EU and its beloved single currency, but to the world as a whole.

However, there is one issue that I don’t believe has been touched upon, and that is of Greek migration.

Currently immigration in the UK, and in many countries across Europe is top on the political agenda and for good reason, controlled immigration is good for all parties involved, uncontrolled immigration on the other hand is detrimental to all involved.

Being in the EU allows free movement of labour from one country to another, in other words, uncontrolled immigration.  It would be quite understandable therefore if large amounts of  the Greek labour force due to no jobs and the dire economic situation left in their droves.

For the EU countries, this means there is potential for mass migration from Greece to countries such as, Germany and France, as well as the UK.  There are jobs in these countries, but whether there are enough to sustain a large uncontrolled influx is another question.  The other more delicate issue is the perception amongst the population in countries such as Germany and France of this influx.  Germany for example, has given a lot of its tax payers’ money to Greece to prop it up, if, or more precisely when they default this will be lost.  Having given the Greeks money which they will never see again, and then having competition from Greeks in the already tough job market could potentially cause friction.  You can imagine the headlines in some publications in Germany, “They took our money and lost it, now they’re coming to take our jobs!”

For Greece, if this did happen, the migration would mainly be those of working age.  The obvious problem here is it would leave Greece with a work force deficit, and therefore unable to rebuild and grow its economy.

This is not anti-immigration, scaremongering, or in anyway stigmatising Greeks.  Ignored however, those would be the least of one’s worries – Just look at the recent argument between Italy and France over migration due to the Arab Spring.