A blessing in disguise
The population of Europe is growing older. That of Greece is aging too – in fact, at a higher speed than its EU peers. Studies show that despite the usual protests against migrants, their presence here is a blessing. The desperate peoples of the developing world are the hope of the more developed countries. In Greece, migrants have rejuvenated the national economy. They have given a new lease on life to near-extinct activities and provided a much-needed tonic for faltering social security funds. Migrants have bolstered prosperity levels and have helped create new jobs for the natives. Migrant labor contributes about 1.5 percent to the country’s GDP. However, that wealth is not equally distributed among the different social groups. Concern runs higher among the ranks of unskilled workers who feel that migrant labor and income are taking a toll on theirs. They may be right to a certain degree, but hostility to migrants is not going to solve the problem.
