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¿Ωption Migrαtion?
Europe’s youth
in search of prospects
Demonstration
gegen Bildungskürzungen,
Athen, März 2013
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¿Ωption Migrαtion? Europe’s youth in search of prospects
Whether on the radio,
in the press or on television,
unemployment amongst
young people in Europe is
an omnipresent pheno­
menon. Young, unemployed
­graduates from Southern
Europe are leaving
home in large numbers and
­heading towards a
­»German paradise«.
We spent a year researching this phenomenon in order to determine the extent to
which the clichée of large-scale migration
within Europe suggested by German politics
and media corresponds to reality. Are there
­really streams of well-qualified young people
arriving in Germany in search of work? What
effect has this population shift had on the old
continent Europe? How European does this
generation, so afflicted by the crisis, feel?
These are the questions we investigated.
In order to take a closer look at the individual fates of young Europeans, we have
attempted to identify aspects which cause
individuals to leave or remain in their homelands. Furthermore, we have moved away
from the micro-level to explore the impact
of individual stories on general perceptions.
The following two research questions are
­derived from this:
1. Micro level:
Which factors influence
migration?
2. Macro level:
How is the migration
­phenomenon perceived in
Greece and Spain?
The rise in youth unemployment has affected the whole of Europe. The southern European ›crisis states‹ of Greece, Italy, Portugal
and Spain are currently worst hit. We visited
the two countries with the highest number
on young jobseekers (see map). Our r­ esearch
was carried out in four cities: Athens, Thessa­
lonica, Madrid und Barcelona. These densely
populated cities offered a huge pool of potential interviewees as well as access to relevant
institutions.
The focus was on young university
graduates and students. Migration streams
within Europe are not only a result of the current crisis, but were already in existence in the
1960s, for instance when workers ­migrated
from Italy to Germany. The migration phenomenon that can be observed today is, however, mainly characterised by the fact that it is
highly qualified young people who turn their
backs on their native countries in search of
opportunities abroad. For our ­research, we
conducted interviews with young people
from Greece and Spain aged 19 to 35.
The young graduates and students we
spoke to were either about to start their
­career, already in work or had recently become unemployed. The majority of them
were attending German courses at the
­Goethe Institute or at a private language
Studienkolleg zu Berlin 2012/13
school. Some interviewees had concrete
plans to emigrate whilst others did not. In the
course of the interviews, three groups emerged. We have accordingly divided our interview partners into the following categories
for evaluation purposes:
1. Young Greeks and Spaniards
who have concrete plans to leave
their country
2. Individuals who implied that they
could imagine leaving their home
country if their job prospects do not
improve
3. Individuals who do not consider
emigration an option
We carried out a total of 90 interviews during
our research trip and in Berlin.
Our aim was to speak to people about
their hopes, fears and problems to gain a
better understanding of this issue. We felt
that the proximity of our age and experiences to our interviewees would enable us to
approach them more easily than journalists
or politi­cians of a different generation. To
supplement our findings from these interviews, we spoke to representatives from poli­
tics, business, civil society and academia in
order to acquire background information on
the current political and economic situations
in the two southern European states, and to
gain a better understanding of the migration
process.
Our interviewees included
approximately 60 young people
from Greece and Spain, including
jobseekers
approximately 20 representatives
from politics, business, civil society and
academia, including:
German Embassy in Madrid
German Consulate in Thessalonica
Youth party »Nuevas Generaciones«,
Madrid
Greek General Confederation
of Labour (GSEE ), Athens
Trade Union Confederation (CCOO ),
Madrid
German Chamber of Industry and
Commerce (AHK ), Madrid
European Employment Services
(EURES ), Madrid
Grecruitment, Thessalonica
Recruitment Helmeca, Frankfurt
Goethe Institutes in Athens,
Thessalonica, Madrid, Barcelona &
Schwäbisch-Hall
German Academic Exchange Service
(DAAD ), Athens & Madrid
Koukidis Language School, Athens
Tandem Language School, Madrid
Veith Institute, Madrid
Universidad Complutense, Madrid
Universidad Autónoma, Madrid
Centro de Documentación
Migraciones de Fundación 1° Mayo,
Madrid
1
Studienkolleg zu Berlin 2012/13
»If we look at different world regions, it is evident that the largest increases
are in south-western Europe. Between 2010 and 2011, the number of
­(German) language course participants rose considerably in Spain (35 %),
Portugal (20 %) und Italy (14 %). In Greece, there was also an increase
of almost 10 %.« Goethe Institute 2012
Migration as an Option:
a Personal Decision to Leave the Country
Is it really true that increasing numbers of
southern Europeans want to come to a German paradise1, as suggested in the German
media? In order to examine Spanish and
Greek perspectives on the migration phenomenon, we asked young graduates to what
extent they considered migration an option.
During our research, it became evident that
the decision to leave one’s native country­is
Istanbul six
primarily influenced by the following
­factors:
2
38
26
27
05
6
3
32 63
99
14
39,3 %
+ 14 %
40,1 %
+ 20 %
56,2 %
+ 35 %
59,5 %
+ 10 %
Figures on employment
amongst young people
Migration figures*
Growth rates,
Goethe Institute, 2012
Spain: 56,2 %
Spain: 27 056
Spain: + 35 %
Greece: 59,5 %
Greece: 26 382
Greece: + 10 %
Italy: 39,3 %
Italy: 32 633
Italy: + 14 %
Portugal: 40,1 %
Portugal: 9914
Portugal: + 20 %
EU: 23,4 % (Stand Q4 2012)
Source: OECD data (http://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DatasetCode=STLABOUR ; Data from Q1/2013;
Short-Term Labour Market Statistics: Unemployment Rates by age and gender > 15–24 years old all persons)
Source: German Federal Statistical Office, November 2012
* Unemployment rates include all age groups
Source: Press release 6th March 2012; http://www.goethe.de/prs/prm/a012/de8962959.htm
professional satisfaction and prospects
experience abroad
social sphere
language skills
institutional support initiatives
attachment to one’s homeland
It was clearly ascertainable that professional
satisfaction and an individual’s perception of
their future prospects were decisive factors
in the crisis-related migration. We were able
to identify a greater willingness to m
­ igrate
among interviewees who were either unemployed or had little job security. Maria,
a 24 year-old nurse from Madrid, told us,
»I’m employed at a hospital for only five days
a month. Right now and in the near future,
Spain can’t offer me any better 1—Der Tagesspiegel,
7. 5. 2013, Article:
prospects. «
Furthermore, it is often the »Immer mehr wollen
case that university graduates are ins Paradies Deutschemployed in positions for which land« (»More and more
they are over-qualified and which aiming for German
do not offer them personal fulfil- paradise«) by Matthias
ment. Javier Pueyo Martínez, a Schlegel
member of the Consejo de Juventud ( youth council ) of the Spanish
government and a union representative said
he was appalled by cases of Spanish university­
graduates deliberately downgrading their
CVs in order to gain employment as waiters
in restaurants. As Spanish restaurant owners
generally prefer not to employ graduates due
to higher turnover rates, less qualified applicants have a better chance of finding a job in
this sector.
Considering the high levels of unemployment which prevail amongst young people in
Spain and Greece, one might expect that the
majority of graduates would be willing to leave the country. However, our interviews showed that a graduate’s willingness to migrate­is
strongly dependent on their area of expertise.
There was a greater willingness to migrate
amongst interviewees from the health, information technology ( I T ), engineering and
2 /3
¿Ωption Migrαtion? Europe’s youth in search of prospects
education sectors. This can be attributed to
the skills shortage in Germany, where there
is a dire need for professionals in these fields.
In spring 2011, Chancellor Merkel made
a public appeal to Spanish professionals to
come to Germany. Known as the »efecto
Merkel«, this caused many Spaniards who
work in sought-after professions and have
no prospects in their home country to consider migrating. In the days following Merkel’s
­visit to Spain, employees of EURES Madrid
( European­Employment Service ) reporte­d
hundreds of phone calls from Spanish job­
seekers. They were not alone; a teacher at Tandem language school in Madrid was ­intrigued:
»Migration to Germany has increased­with
the crisis. Above all, Merkel’s appeal two
­years ago caused an explosion in the Spanish
job market. Many engineers and doctors, in
particular, came to Tandem as a result.«2
2—The Goethe Institute, the German Embassy and
the ­German Chamber of Industry and Commerce ( AHK )
in Madrid all informed us that interest in work opportunities
in Germany increased following Merkel’s visit to Spain.
For interviewees in shortage occupations,
willingness to migrate was increased by
­sophisticated institutional support in seeking
work abroad. In both Greece and Spain, the
crisis and an increase in demand have not only
led to more extensive cooperation­at a state
level, specialised recruitment agencies have
also increasingly sprung in to action finding
qualified personnel for the German­labour
market. One agency we spoke­to ­described its
comprehensive support package:­a job placement service, a language course prior to and
on arrival in Germany, induction sessions at
the future workplace, as well as assistance
with finding accommodation and getting insurance in Germany. Many of the potential
migrants interviewed were registered on such
programmes or were enrolled in special courses at the Goethe Institute or other language­
schools providing them with vocabulary
tailored to their professional needs.
Conversely, people working in other
fields reported that they lacked essential
information, that applying for jobs from
abroad was overly complicated and that the
language was too great a barrier for them to
consider migrating. However, interviewees­
who already had contact with friends or
­acquaintances working in Germany did not
express these apprehensions. One Spanish
woman told us, »My boyfriend is also a trained nurse and he started a job in Germany,
in Frankfurt, two months ago. I have already
­visited him in Germany. I can certainly imagine moving there too. «
We frequently encountered such comments in interviews with individuals who had
concrete plans to migrate or who were considering the option of migrating. If part of their
social sphere was already based abroad, there
were opportunities for a direct exchange of
Studienkolleg zu Berlin 2012/13
information and personal support. On the
other hand, interviewees often identified a
strong attachment to their social sphere and
home country as an obstacle to migration.
This can, in some cases, be attributed to the
strong family ties which are central to the
social­fabric in both countries.
Yet for many of the potential migrants interviewed, financial dependence on their family
was a more decisive factor than emotional
ties. At 30 years of age, many Greeks and Spaniards are often still living in the family home
or in apartments belonging to their extended
family. The socio-economic background of
one’s family is key to enabling or preventing
migration. Firstly, the application process for
jobs abroad and attending language courses
can be very costly. Moreover, in their first few
months abroad, migrants often have to rely
on financial support from their families while
they are looking for work. Therefore, people­
from a privileged background, in other
words, with good educational opportunities
and an above-average standard of living, are
as a rule more willing to migrate. The head
of the careers service at Athens Polytechnic
emphasised, for example, that the majority of
graduates are only able to seek better career
opportunities abroad due to financial support from their families.
Alongside professional satisfaction,
institutional support initiatives and social
sphere, for both Greeks and Spaniards, the
intensity of an individual’s attachment to
their home region is key to their decision
to leave their country. According to Klaus
Bormann, Permanent Representative of the
German General Consulate in Thessalonica,­
»The Greeks have strong ties with their
homeland. They love their country. I think it
is every Greek person’s dream to come back
to Greece.« This view was indeed shared by
many of those we interviewed.
These strong ties to the country of origin­
initially seemed to be based on a clear preference for the climate in their homeland. ­Maria
from Galicia, who recently came to work in
Berlin explained, »I miss the sun so much.
For this reason, I can already say that I will
not spend the rest of my life here.« However,
for some Greeks and Spaniards, a sense of
responsibility for shaping their country was
more fundamental to their decision­not to
migrate. Several young graduates expressed
a wish to give something back to the country­
they grew up in and which had ­financed
their education. This desire was often accompanied by a sense of regret or a guilt for
abandon­ing their country in difficult times.
Roben, a plasma physicist from Madrid,­who
has already lived abroad for some time found
it »shameful« that the most highly qualified
young people were leaving Spain.
A sense of affinity to one’s home country
is in part accompanied by a »pragmatic« connection to the country. If their families own
inherited property, young graduates tend to
have a stronger bond to their native country
and are less likely to migrate. This is ­mostly
due to the fact that maintaining property
from abroad is expensive and selling property­
in Greece and Spain is difficult in times of
crisis. Lila, a young dentist from Athens who
will soon be moving to Germany­to join her
husband, explained that the ­property her
­family owns in Greece presented a considerable obstacle to her decision to migrate.
4 /5
¿Ωption Migrαtion? Europe’s youth in search of prospects
Finally, two additional factors come into
play in a young graduate’s decision to leave
their native country: foreign language skills
and previous experience abroad. It became
evident from our research that interviewees
who already had knowledge of German or
who had the opportunity to attend a German
course prior to or during their employment
in Germany were more flexible. Although
Berlin and other major cities in Germany
offer some opportunities to study or work
in English, in the majority of cases, German
language skills are essential. A certain level
of fluency, as determined by the European
­Reference Framework, is required in the
application process for some professional
sectors. In Germany, each Federal State sets
its own language requirements for foreign
doctors. Panagiotos, a young doctor from
Athens, is currently striving to complete a
C1 German course; as of mid-2013, this is
the level of German required for doctors in
­Hessen, his destination state.
In Greece, however, the education system
places a greater emphasis on foreign l­ anguage
acquisition than in Spain. The language
learning options in the two countries vary
accordingly. In Greece, learning languages­
has always been popular and there is a strong
tradition of learning a third language. in addition to English, schools also introduce either
German or French at primary level. In Spain,
on the other hand, knowledge of a foreign
language is not a given. Even graduates often
have a low level of English, and this considerably reduces their willingness to migrate.
For this reason, Spaniards are more likely to
consider emigration to Latin America.­
Furthermore, our interview subjects
­referred to the generally low level of mobility­
within Spain. Whilst many Greeks moved
aboard to study or work prior to the crisis, the
Spanish prefer to live and work in the place
where they were born. In Spain, even mobility­
within the country is lower than in Greece
and ties to one’s birthplace are stronger. Previous experience abroad can therefore have
a positive effect on an individual’s decision­
to migrate. Veronica, a 29-year-old journalist
from Madrid told us, »If I do not find work
this year, I would not have a problem with
moving abroad. I have already worked as an
au-pair for a year in Cambridge and spent
an ERASMUS semester­in Finnland.« The
significance of previous e­ xpe­rience abroad
is also reflected in the fact that one third of
Spaniards currently m
­ igrating to Germany
have a Latin American background. Consequently, for the majority of these migrants,
the connection to Spain is not as deep-rooted
and there is already a »culture of migration«
within their families.
Jugendliche protestieren gegen
Perspektivlosigkeit und erzwungene­
Migration, Madrid, April 2013
¿Ωption Migrαtion? Europe’s youth in search of prospects
Finally, we would like to provide an overview
of the degree of influence of each of the six
factors previously mentioned. This overview is the result of comparative evaluation
within our research group on the basis of the
interviews carried out in Greece and Spain. It
should be stressed that this invariably relates
to personal and individual decisions to leave
the country. No single factor alone determines
a person’s decision to migrate;­it is ultimately
the interplay of inter­dependent factors. The highest degrees­of influence were attributed­to professional
satisfaction­and prospects and to
­social sphere. The question of emigrating did not arise if individuals reported
a high level of satisfaction with their jobs,
regardless of whether they had knowledge of
foreign languages or whether financial support from the public or private sector was
available. Moreover, it appears that a decision
to migrate is, above all, dependent on support
from one’s social sphere, whether psychological or financial. In order to work in Germany, it is necessary to complete language
courses and application processes. Many are
unsuccessful in their preparations to
migrate due to a lack of funds.
Foreign language skills and institu­
tional support initiatives have a medium degree of influence. In many of
the interviews, it emerged that an individual’s
choice of destination country was often determined by their language skills. The influence of institutional cooperation between
countries is so great that it can even outweigh
other factors which hinder migration, such
as a lack of funds, language skills or information about finding work abroad. This was
particularly evident in the group of nurses
we spoke to in Thessalonica; their language
course at the Goethe Institute is financed
1
2
by German hospitals and their employment
contracts are already guaranteed before they
leave the country. Many of them claimed to
have had no previous experience abroad and
indicated that they were strongly attached to
their social­environment. It was secure job
prospects in Germany and the local Goethe
Institute’s support and cooperation scheme
with their future employers which determined their decision to leave the country. The
degree of influence of institutional support
initiatives should not, however, be overly
stressed as it only applies to certain professional sectors.
In our interviews, it became clear that
previous experience abroad and a
sense of attachment to one’s home
region have a low degree of influence
on a decision to migrate. These factors o
­ ften
play a lesser role if an individual has very
little professional satisfaction in their home
country,­if they have support from their
social sphere and institutions, and if they
have ­already learned the required foreign
language.­
Essentially, anyone in Spain and Greece
has the option of leaving the country. Whether a person chooses this option or not is,
however, determined by their personal circumstances and particular degree of influence of the six factors discussed. Our analysis
therefore points to the particular parameters
which could be taken into account by European politics, business and civil society when
measures are taken to prevent or facilitate
migration.
3
Studienkolleg zu Berlin 2012/13
Emigration as an
Expression of Heteronomy
7. 4. 2013, 19 hours,
Atocha Station, Madrid
Youth without a Future have gathered in front
of Atocha station in Madrid. Youth w
­ ithout a
Future ( Juventud sin futuro ), an ­affiliation
of different local student groups, has called
on Madrilenians to march to Plaza del Sol to
draw attention to the difficult situation faced
by Spain’s young people. This choice of date
was not random; two years ago, Juventud sin
futuro also organised a demonstration which
is considered to be the forerunner of the 15-M
Spanish protest movement 3. This time, the
demonstrations have spread beyond Spanish
borders and simultaneous solidarity protests
will be held in Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris,
London, Rome and other cities.
The organisers frantically distribute stickers. Surprisingly, one of them is printed not
in Spanish, but German: »600 Euro verdienen ist ein Gewaltakt« ( an income of 600 euros is an act of violence ). Those in work have
to accept salaries which do not correspond
to their qualifications. This ­reflects the depressing situation on the Spanish job market. Young people are over-proportionally
affected by unemployment, even if they are
well-qualified. Printing this sticker in Ger-
man is an attempt to attract atten- 3 —The name 15M
tion in the country which is seen refers to the ongoing
as the voice of Europe, a country protests in Spain
where the Chancellor represents in 2011/2012 which
called for funda­mental
Europe’s austerity policy. 4
The square gradually fills change in politics
with people. The initial crowd of and society. The projournalists now makes way for a tests began with an
diversity of banners, mega­phones appeal on 15th May 2011.
and loud whistles. Although demonstrations against the Spanish government now take place 4 —strenge Sparpolitik
almost every two weeks, interest
has not died down. On the corner,
someone is selling Juventud sin
Futuro t-shirts out of a supermarket ­trolley.
The t-shirts depict a world map covered with
dots showing the locations of Spaniards in
exile. The design of all t-shirts, posters and
flyers is inspired by airport terminals: in
Fight Class, youth without a future fly from
precariedad ( uncertainty ) into exilio ( exile ).
They have baggage tags on their backpacks;
it seems as though Spain’s young people are
ready for departure.
8 /9
Studienkolleg zu Berlin 2012/13
Plakat mit Slogan
»Ohne Haus, ohne Job,
ohne Rente, ohne Angst«,
Madrid, April 2013
According to the protestors, in the
current situation Spain’s youth has limited
options: Paro, precariedad o exilio? ( unemployment, uncertainty or exile? ). The
banners repeat this same painful question,
ad infinitum. Banished to labour exile: this
is how demonstrators feel about emigrating
for employment. »We are not leaving, they’re
kicking us out! « is one of the protestors’ main
slogans. They see emigration for employment not as a free choice but as something
which is forced upon them; the lack of prospects in their own country appears to leave
them with no option but to emigrate.
Can migration for economic reasons
really­
be considered forced migration?
­M igration research has traditionally distin­
guished between forced and economic
­migration. If migrants are neither refugees
nor displaced persons but choose to leave
their home country purely for economic
­reasons, their migration is voluntary. But
what if a countries’ economic situation has
made it impossible to realise career choices
or become financially independent, even for
those with the highest qualifications? The
resulting external pressure is so great that
the decision to migrate is transformed from
active to reactive. Emigration becomes a reaction to a lack of perspectives. It is therefore
legitimate to hypothesise that this migration
is forced, at least economically.
The shouting masses force their way
though Madrid’s narrow streets. Bengal
lights are fired at the end of the procession.
The crowd shouts continuously: »I’ll decide
when to pack my bags! « The youth without a
future want to stay. Emigration is considered
an expression of heteronomy.
10 /11
Brain Drain within Europe?
»The new migrant workers: Europe’s young
elite for the German economy.« Der Spiegel magazine wrote enthusiastically. In the
midst of the crisis and Southern Europe’s
growing resentment towards Germany, not
everyone is pleased about this. In the current
economic climate, surely Greece and Spain
are even more dependent on their educated
elite? Is there a risk of brain drain? The Duden
­d ictionary defines brain drain as »the emigration of highly qualified people to other countries, whereby the country of origin loses
its workforce.« A discrepancy between the
labour markets in the country of origin and
the country of destination is a prerequisite
for this.
During our field research in Greece and
Spain, we were able to ascertain that some
protagonists were concerned about and sometimes even had a guilty conscience about
further encouraging the brain drain. Maria
( 24, currently working in Berlin, from Barcelona ) told us, »Of course, I don’t feel good
about having left my country straight after
finishing my studies because Spain is in such
a dire state. I wanted to go abroad anyway, to
experience something new. I don’t know if I’ll
stay here long-term.«
Indeed, many people were concerned
about this and some morally reproach those
who choose to migrate; Nerea Nieto ( 24, Fine
Arts graduate, Madrid ) told us, »The people
who are leaving have been given everything
by Spain because this country has invested a
great deal in its young people. Now I see that
they are no longer here, although they are
indebted to the Spanish state! They have all
benefited from good economic conditions in
the past!«
Thassos ( 31, medical student, Thessalonica ) admitted, »I feel guilty when I talk to
my family about the country. Everyone else
stayed and they now have to endure tax increases. I sometimes feel embarrassed that I
left. But what am I supposed to do? Just sit
and wait for the government to do something
good for the country? It may seem selfish, but
sometimes you have to think about your own
future. I will not pay with my future for the
mistakes made by politicians. « While he is
on the waiting list for medical speciality training, Thassos is learning German so as to use
his time constructively.
Can we really talk about brain drain
within Europe when there is freedom of
move­ment? Firstly, ongoing migration within
Europe could be a good thing, particularly on
account of the current confidence crisis in
the European Union. Migration offers the
nations of Europe an opportunity to get to
know one other better and to dispel preju­
dices. It is ultimately about creating and
fostering a shared European identity, as is
already­the case with higher education mobility programmes such as ERASMUS .
According to Claudia Finotelli, Associate­
Researcher at the Ortega y Gasset­Institut
and Universidad Complutense in Madrid,
»We can already identify a migration phenomenon which is reinforced by the media. The catchphrase efecto Merkel shows
how quickly this topic has become a social
question­for the people of Spain. For us researchers, it is, however, difficult to claim that
this is really a case of brain drain. There is too
little­data available. Brain drain is not a trend
but an enduring movement which would
in fact affect the majority. What is more
striking is the number of Spaniards with
South American roots who have returned to
South America during the crisis.«
Nevertheless, such immigration flows
can also have positive effects on southern
­European states. The emigration of large
numbers of unemployed people to other
countries means lower costs for social
security­benefits in the country of origin.
However, it remains difficult to place emphasis on the positive effects on social expenditure due to the rather modest savings
which result from migration. In order to truly
unburden Southern Europe’s social security
funds, many more people would have to emigrate.
Within the Spanish government, fear of
losing the countries educated elite does not
seem to be widespread. When we interviewed an official at the Ministry for Labour and
Immigration, it became clear that brain drain
is not an expression they wish to use. The
government expects the young graduates to
return and is therefore generally positively
disposed towards employment migration.
Ministry official Irene Pinilla asserted, »We
do not need to be afraid of young people
gathering experience abroad. This is a good
thing for Spain. «
At the same time, German institutions
in Spain and Greece have difficulty with this
issue. To some extent, one can even refer to
a sense of shame within the German institutions exposed to this. For example, teachers
at the Goethe Institute mostly stressed
that it was not their role to send people to
12 /13
Studienkolleg zu Berlin 2012/13
Economic thinking dominates
the EU’s crisis policies. The crisis
is displaying Europe’s worst side.
—Irene, 23, Law and Politics, Madrid
Young Southern Europeans look up at Europe
­ ermany: »I sometimes feel bad that, as a
G
German teacher, I am preparing people for
emigration,­the very people that the country
needs. « In our interviews with German institutions in both the countries we visited, many
of those we spoke to indicated that they avoid
actively supporting migration to Germany
because there is too much potential for political conflict on this issue.
Some have therefore concluded attempts­
should be made to counteract the loss of
skilled employees. In Greece, some concrete Greek-German initiatives have been
established,­such as Progreece. This is an
internet platform where German and Greek
companies join forces and establish joint
projects to relocate short-term production
and services as well as to take advantage of
underused production capacity. The longterm aim is to build trust and generate employment.
This project was set up by the German
Consulate and the German Chamber of
­Industry and Commerce (AHK) in Thessa­
lonica. Both institutions explicitly aim to
work against the accusation that they merely
place Greek employees in the German job
market. As Mr Bormann, the German consul
in Thessalonica explained, »It is about showing that we don’t necessarily want to push
people towards Germany, but that we also
want to do something here. « He also alluded to the brain drain issue, »The brain drain
­d ilemma will be resolved by the Greeks’
ties to their homeland. When the economic
situation improves, most of them will return home. « In the 1980s, almost half of the
Greeks who had migrated to Germany in the
1950s went back to Greece. The current generation may, however, be different; »Let’s
see what happens with the new generation of
migrant workers.« Mr Bormann concluded.
Europe: a geographic area, a cultural heritage with a common history, a political and
economic union - the crisis. Europe has many
faces for it means different things to different
people.
In this project, we have given a voice to
the young people of Southern Europe in order to present their views on crisis-related
migration and Europe. In fact, most of our
interview subjects said they had noticed a
growing north-south divide within Europe.
One young Spanish woman expressed her
view as follows:
The crisis has laid bare the rising
tensions between northern and southern
European countries. —Laura, 24,
Fine Art, Barcelona
The growing migration trend towards the
north can also be perceived as an expression
of this. During our interviews in Greece and
Spain, this was frequently referred to as evidence of a developing European divide.
There is Northern Europe and Southern
Europe. Young people are drawn to
the affluent north. —Javier, 24, student of
Law and Politics, Madrid
Freedom of movement was generally
seen as a positive achievement of European
integration. In relation to crisis-related migration, however, it was sometimes viewed
negatively as it makes leaving the country
easier. We raised the question of how this
freedom of movement affects young people
and their image of Europe in particular. For
this reason, we asked the young Spanish and
Greek interview subjects what Europe means
to them.
At present, the crisis, la crisis or i krisi
( κρίση ) seems to be a synonym for Europe. It
is concerned with euro bailout funds worth
billions, structural reforms, bank rescue
­packages and investment programmes. For
the young people we spoke to in the crisisridden countries of Greece and Spain, the
crisis was omnipresent in the context of
­Europe. They were often strongly critical of
the ­measures taken by European institutions.
Europe’s politics and institutions
are very distant from its citizens. But its
austerity policies now affect the lives
of many people. —Anna, 25, Translation
and Journalism, Madrid
14 /15
¿Ωption Migrαtion? Europe’s youth in search of prospects
I wish Europe would involve
its citizens more and not just
concentrate on the economy.
—Anna, 24, nurse, Thessalonica
The crisis has brought out the worst
in Europe. It is a Europe of markets
and not of citizens. This is what divides us
Europeans and gives rise to conflict.
—Gonzalo, 23, engineer, Madrid
What clearly emerged from our interviews
was, above all, a desire for more understanding within Europe and more solidarity with
people’s circumstances in the worst affected
countries. Those we spoke to frequently expressed resentment at the lack of sympathy
shown by northern European countries for
the situation and problems faced by Southern
Europe. The dominance of Northern Europe
and the forced doctrine of austerity, in particular, were often viewed critically.
I would like to see more recognition and
support for Greece and the difficult
conditions which currently prevail here.
—Hanna, 30, nurse, Kavala
Europe is an elitist project.
Europe should do more
for young people so that they
too can profit from the
European Community.
—Laura, 24, Linguist, Barcelona
On the other hand, there was often reference
to an increase in solidarity between the countries of Southern Europe.
I feel connected to the fates of young
people in Spain, Portugal and Italy,
although I have never been to those
countries. —Vassilis, 30, engineer, Patras
Transcending the current policies of Brussels and Berlin, in some cases there was also a
more fundamental criticism of the European
Union’s structure, although interpretive models of the Union as an elitist economic project often came to the fore. Correspondingly,
there was generally criticism of the EU’s remoteness and the lack of transparency in its
institutional structures.
More support from Europe is needed.
Schaufenster
— Anna, 31, unemployed lawyer, Oviedo
März 2013
Fußgängerzone,
Athen,
¿Ωption Migrαtion? Europe’s youth in search of prospects
Studienkolleg zu Berlin 2012/13
The crisis has made me realise that one of Europe’s
greatest problems is that the EU is not really interested in people.
There is no social Europe. —Nerea, 23, seeking employment, Biology graduate, Madrid
Ganz allgemein gesprochen, ruft die EU bei Ihnen ein sehr positives, ziemlich positives,
weder positives noch negatives, ziemlich negatives oder sehr negatives Bild hervor?
Gesamt »positiv« Weder positiv noch negativ Gesamt »negativ« Weiß nicht
50% 32% 46%
34%
52%
49% 31% 34%
48%
35%
45%
36%
43%
38%
45%
36%
48%
42%
35%
38%
40%
37%
40%
41%
38%
31%31%
39%
15% 15% 14%
15% 17%
17%
19%
16%15%
2% 3% 2% 3% 2% 2%
2%
Sp.
2006
EB 65
Aut.
2006
EB 66
Sp.
2007
EB 67
Aut.
2007
EB 68
Sp.
2008
EB 69
Aut.
2008
EB 70
1/2
Sp.
2009 2009
EB 71.1 EB 71
20%
30%
28%
26%
17%
39%
29%
20%
3%2%2%2%2%2%2%2%
Aut.
2009
EB 72
Sp.
2010
EB 73
Aut.
2010
EB 74
Sp.
2011
EB 75
Aut.
2011
EB 76
Sp.
2012
EB 77
Aut.
2012
EB 78
Quelle: Standard Eurobarometer 78
According to Eurobarometer, in recent
­years, approval of the European Union by
its citizens has been in continual decline
where­as negative attitudes towards the EU
have greatly­increased. Following many
­years of predominant support for EU institutions, posi­tive and negative attitudes have
now evened out to a level of 30 % and 29 %
respectively.­
Against this background, we were particularly astonished by the level of differentiation­
in the answers to our questions regarding
Europe.­Whilst there was criticism of current EU policy in the interviews, there was
also a high level of support for the ­abstract,
normative foundations of European integration. Despite the condemnation of European
(crisis) policies and institutional structures,
the normative concept of European integration received unanimously positive ratings.
I believe in the idea of the EU,
not ­individual European states.
— Vassilis, 30, engineer, Patras
The notion of Europe is right and important,
despite the crisis and during the crisis.
— Adriana, 23, Environmental Science, Madrid
Thus, the results of the interviews in part
contrast with the widely held belief that euro­
sceptism prevails in the countries affected by
the crisis. On the contrary, a mutual European solution was consistantly percieved as
the only way out of the situation in Greece
and Spain.
Europe is not just an option, Europe
is our hope. We need a strong Europe
with more competencies. —Maria, 29,
Nuevas Generations, Madrid
Our evaluation of the migration phenomenon investigated clearly fits this context.
The way that young Greeks and Spaniards
perceive­Europe ultimately affects their
­assessment of migration and vice versa. In
all the interviews we conducted, there was a
clear interdependence between the way an individual views the crisis and their assessment
of the migration phenomenon. On the one
hand, those interviewed often highlighted
freedom of movement in Europe as an achievement; on the other hand, they also raised
concerns about the risk of an exodus.
In conclusion, it should be noted that
there was a positive attitude towards the
concept of European integration. There was,
however, an equal amount of criticism of the
current European crisis policy. Furthermore,
there appear to be certain fears that a kind of
two-track Europe will emerge. In this context,
some recognize the migration trend north­
wards as an opportunity and take advantage
of it, whilst others see it as a danger to their
home country. Europe is the only way
out of the crisis. — Hanna, 31,
unemployed lawyer, Òviedo
Europe is more important
than the crisis and it is the
only way out.
— Gonzalo, 23, e­ ngineer, ­Madrid
18 /19
¿Ωption Migrαtion? Europe’s youth in search of prospects
Studienkolleg zu Berlin 2012/13
Myrto Aspioti Greece; Modern and Medieval Languages
Annegret Hartig Germany; European Law
The Perception of Migration as a Choice
and the Strong National Character of Perspectives
on the European Migration Phenomenon
As explained in the introduction to this
text, our initial hypothesis was that the high
number of young graduates from Southern
Europe­migrating to Germany is a phenomenon which requires a more differentiated
view than the one presented by the general
public and in the German media. From the
very beginning of this project, which was
developed from the working title Migration
Generation, the following central questions
emerged:
To what extent is it legitimate to refer
to a generation which willingly leaves its
­native country due to the lack of perspec­
tives brought about by the crisis?
Has the current European economic crisis caused a majority of Greek and Spanish
­graduates to become migrant workers?
After examining in detail the factors
which influence an individual’s decision
to m
­ igrate and the statements made by our
interviewees with regard to social and media perceptions of the migration phenomenon, we took a fresh look at our initial
assumptions.­
The renaming of the project as a result of
the research trip to Spain and Greece characterises our findings. The initial hypothesis of
a migration generation modified itself into a
migration option. In the absence of a broad
impact and due to the wide age range of migrants, those wishing to emigrate cannot be
classified as a migration generation. Furthermore, our interviewees considered migration
to be one of several options. Even in times of
Europe-wide recession, freedom of choice is
still a basic principle.
Professional and personal self-realisation are not inseparable from a decision to
migrate. Moreover, Germany is by no means
the only destination option for young Greeks
and Spaniards. Even if the German media
supports an opposing view, it remains an in­
tangible dream of a nation which has not yet
found its place as a country of immigration
amongst many others.
Even in instances where interviewees
had opted for migration, it was clear that
their decisions were extremely personal
and dependent on the interplay of multiple
factors. In the scope of our project, we discovered that a decision to migrate is primarily based on socio-economic factors. The
combination of a lack of job satisfaction and
Hugo Lebarrois Political Science and Philosophy
Ilyas Saliba Political Science and International and Comparative Studies
Hannah Schindler European Studies and International Relations
Yan Willière Luxembourg; Human Medicine
support from family members in the process
of applying for work abroad were both catalysts. However, crossing borders is not only
reserved for those privileged to have been
abroad before or who already speak foreign
languages. Rather, institutions play a supportive role and promote the permeability of
the European labour market. It is the logical
consequence of an over-capacity in Greece
and Spain and the demands of the German
employment market that has led to sectorspecific migration.
Responses to questions about potential
migration were very specific to each individual. There was, however, a general consensus
on the perception of unemployment amongst
young people and related European crisis
policy. This led us to our second conclusion,
that perceptions of this new migration phenomenon have a strong national character,
whether in Spain, Greece or Germany. In
Germany, the migration of young Greeks and
Spaniards is often discussed in the context of
the shortage of skilled workers. In Greece
and Spain, on the other hand, the discourse
surrounding current migration trends is related to topics such as a lack of European solidarity and the questionable workings of the
European Union.
This research project has
attempted to identify the view­
points of those groups of Spa­
nish and Greek people affec­
ted by the migration
phenomenon and thus to gain
a new perspective on this
situation through our inter­
views. We hence hope to
­contribute to a more differen­
tiated discourse on the
­migration of young Spanish
and Greek graduates to
­Germany, a discourse which
includes Southern
­European perspectives.
20 /21
Europe’s youth is in danger of becoming a lost generation.
—Sigmar Gabriel, leader of the Social Democratic Party ( SPD )
Europe’s greatest problem is youth unemployment.
—Wolfgang Schäuble, Minister of Finance
The new migrant workers: Europe’s young elite
for the German economy. —Der Spiegel, German weekly
news magazine