Reasons For Large Scale Immigration in The 1990s
The reasons for this widespread immigration throughout the 1990s are many: the fall of the Soviet Union, compounded with other Balkan problems such as the Yugoslav Wars led to widespread political unrest and political uncertainty not only in the Balkans, but throughout other former Eastern Bloc countries as well. The demography of the region is also of particular interest, both Greece and Italy, which have aging populations, attracted immigration from countries with a younger workforce, the push factor being the latter's inability to find jobs in their home country combined with Greece's need for cheap labour (especially in small scale family businesses, which are prevalent).
Another primary factor in this large scale rise in immigration is also the narrowing of the gap in terms of living standards between Northern Europe and Southern Europe, Greece has become an attractive destination to economic migrants because of steady growth rates and EU member status - the presence of an informal economy that pays well has also added to this 'pull' factor in immigration trends. For example, an Albanian worker in Albania is paid on average $3 per hour, whereas he or she can earn anywhere from $6–$10 on average for working an informal sector job within Greece.
Greece's large coastline and multiple islands mean that policing the entry of migrants has also become increasingly difficult, as Greece's reliance on Tourism has meant that borders have never been adequately policed (though this has begun to change as with the rest of the continent).
Read more about this topic: Immigration To Greece
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