The Economic Implications for Integration of Forced Migrants in Greece

The Economic Implications for Integration of Forced Migrants in Greece

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Project Summary

An estimated 1.3 million refugees and migrants without travel documents have entered Greece since 2015, with Greek islands essentially becoming the gateway of entry to the European Union. This massive incursion of migrants also coincided with the catastrophic Greek economic recession. Resultantly, gross domestic product has plummeted by 25%, the income and employment of both immigrants and citizens has diminished, and the public healthcare and welfare sectors have been severely compromised. The proposed study will be centered on highlighting the economic consequences of social and economic integration of the forced migrants into Greece. The expansion of immigrant integration as a research discipline has been limited by contradictory characterizations, absence of a methodological structure, and uncertainty to the novelty of the concept (Portes et al. 1999; Foner 2000; Kivisto 2001).

This study aims to augment this promising field. Likewise, this project addresses under-represented groups in the study of migration and its economic values. It examines the role of immigrant integration in influencing the types of occupational undertakings immigrants pursue and the extent of their engagement in these activities. Transcontinental migration research concerning Mediterranean refugees has thus far centered mostly on the forced migration of refugees and labor movements. The proposed project broadens the understanding of the relationship between immigrant integration and its economic implications by analyzing populations that have been underrepresented in forced migration research in a country which is sunken in debt. Examining how Greek’s migration policies and the social context of reception affect the integration of east-Mediterranean war refugees, and indirectly their contribution to the economy, also has applied implication

Abstract

The proposed study scrutinizes how the social and economic integration of refugees stranded in Greece, particularly on the Aegean Islands, impacts their participation in economically constructive endeavors, and ultimate contribution to economic mobility during the Greece economic crisis. If the extent to which immigrants participate in occupational endeavors depends on the resources available to them, then the economic activities of forced immigrants with increasing social and economic mobility in the host country will be greater in range and frequency.Bearing in mind the fiscal and legal resources, and bending of political constructs necessary to expedite most occupational ventures for the refugees, downward mobility in the host society demonstrably limits the capacity of refugees to engage in these endeavors.Yet, the critical question of whether or not the refugees can contribute to the social and economic welfare of Greece remains unanswered.

Research Question/Problem Statement

With the advent of studies focused on the refugee influx’s economic impact on European countries, the emphasis of the research has, for the most part, shifted from analyzing the financial and political burden refugees pose on the receiving nations (Yazgan et. al 2015) to exploring their socio-economic behaviors (Betts et al. 2015). Nevertheless, the relationship between refugee integration in the host country and the kinds of economic undertakings they are able to pursue, in addition to the extent of their involvement in these undertakings, is yet to be directly studied. The proposed project addresses this issue by exploring how participation and contribution tothe economic mobility varies acrossdifferent patterns of refugee adaptation, with prime focus on the consequences of the arrested refugee transit migration through Greece.

Literature Review

McAllister (1995) claimed scholarlyfindings attested that immigrants fare eminently worse economically than native-born individuals, vastly owing to competitive labor markets operations and employer discrimination.While Pursey (2015) discusses that refugees are inevitably confronted with choicesequivalentto those of intentional migrants, Rantsiou (2016) argues that recognition of a person as a refugee is vital to their protection and status.There have been ongoing debates over the possibility of economic benefit vs financial burden on European states accommodating escaped refugees (Cooper, 2016; Tanning, 2016). Cabot (2015) has demonstrated thatGreece has the most illegal immigrants and asylum seekers of all European Union states,as well asastoundingly low refugee recognition rates.

However, other countries who have borne an analogous brunt have been faring better. Germany authorized the influx of one million refugees in 2015–2016, and, while many were denied refugee status, Germany adopted the favorable refugee policy of ‘integration’ politics (Funk, 2016).Portugal has also voluntarily resettled up to 11,000 people in spite of the country’s debt crisis that previously obliged a financial bailout.Resettled refugees continue to receive backing from indigenous authorities for accommodation, vocational training and finding employment opportunities. Costa et al. (2017) suggest that doing so is economically sensible.

The labor market and entrepreneurship have been disputably deliberated upon as substantially plausible prospects to provide forced migrantsin Greece with work opportunities (Lianos et al. 1996; Panos 2008; Halkias et al. 2016; Zimmermann 2017). This project anticipates that refugees having access……………………………………………………………………completed