Highly Skilled Migration: What Differentiates the ‘Brains’ Who Are Drained from Those Who Return in the Case of Greece?

Abstract

The migration of highly educated population (brain drain) poses extremely significant impacts on origin countries' development, especially in cases in which, owing to their economic and social structures, these countries cannot promote the efficient allocation of their professionals. At the same time, the decision of those migrants to return home or remain abroad is affected by several factors. This paper aims to analyse this phenomenon by using primary data collected from Greece. Our findings indicate that it is not reasonable to expect that a large share of these people is likely to return, especially given the ongoing economic and social crises that further exacerbate the observed mismatch between supply and demand for a highly educated workforce in the country. These empirical results can assist the formulation of specific policy measures in order to reap the benefits of those individuals' presence abroad, which can undoubtedly enhance the developmental prospects of European countries. This study constitutes the first one on brain drain from Greece, while it is also the first study to compare highly skilled migrants who still work abroad to those who have returned.

‘In this country my children are learning two of the most important languages in Europe’: ideologies of language as a commodity among Greek migrant families in Luxembourg

“…The first wave was observed after the Second World War and involved mainly scientists and artists who contributed intellectually to the reformation of Europe (Labrianidis and Vogiatzis 2013). During the 1960s, there was a mass exodus of unskilled migrants who left for Western Europe (Germany), Australia, Canada, and the USA as 'blue-collar' workers (Labrianidis and Vogiatzis 2013).…”

“…Over the past five years, an estimated 200,000 Greeks, or 2% of the nation's population, have left the country. In contrast to post-war immigrants from Greece to Northwestern Europe who were mostly working class and unqualified, the current emigrants are highly qualified and motivated by career prospects amongst other factors (Labrianidis and Vogiatzis 2013). According to a European University Institute report, 88% of those who left hold a university degree (e.g.…”

Economic Crisis and Higher Education in Greece

“…as a prerequisite for carrier progression. As a result, it is not reasonable to expect that a large share of these people is likely to return, especially given the ongoing economic and social crises that further exacerbate the observed mismatch between supply and demand for a highly educated workforce in Greece (eKathimerini, 2014;Labrianidis, 2014;Labrianidis & Vogiatzis, 2013).…”

Just One of the ‘PIIGS’ or a European Outlier? Studying Irish Emigration from a Comparative Perspective

“…Emigration debates in the 'PIIGS' have focused largely on the perception that a 'brain drain' is taking place (see, for example, Ortega 2013; Araújo and Ferreira 2013;Labrianidis and Vogiatzis 2013;Tintori and Colucci 2015). No Greek or Portuguese data exists to test these assertions of a 'brain drain'.…”