Youth mobilities, crisis, and agency in Greece: Second generation lives in liminal spaces and austere times

ABSTRACT

This paper explores various dimensions of “mobility” and “agency” among second-generation immigrants in Greece who have experienced the economic crisis throughout their studies at Higher Education Institutions. Following their studies in Greece, second-generation youth migrants graduated at a time when the crisis had already been leading hundreds of thousands of mostly highly skilled Greeks to emigration, resulting in a severe “brain drain” for Greece. First-generation immigrants’ investment in their children’s education has been vital as an integration strategy and as a means of achieving social mobility. It has also been an asset during crisis times when the prospect of re-migration seems more than a possible option setting new challenges for youth mobility on a local, global, and transnational level. Nevertheless, the vast majority of our participants manifest their will to remain in Greece and struggle for their future in the host country. Through in-depth interviews with 130 participants, all second-generation Albanian, Bulgarian, and Romanian immigrants in Greece, 30 born in the host country and the rest in the country of origin, the paper addresses youth agency in relation to geographical mobility, education, and personal development.

KEYWORDS:

• Mobility
• education
• crisis
• second-generation migrants
• agency

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Some analysts use PIIGS to include Italy – Europe’s longstanding biggest debtor.

2. Immigration has gained ground for the first time since autumn 2015 (58%) while it was cited by 45% in autumn 2016, and 24% in autumn 2014.

3. The dynamics of the humanitarian tragedy that followed the Treaty of Laussane in 1923 and the subsequent exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey that resulted to 2 million refugees on both sides, bear a striking resemblance to what is happening in the area today.

4. It was 55% in Autumn 2016.

5. The drop of unemployment rates among the youth that we observe from 2014–2018 is due to the high rates of emigration among this population category.