Greeks of Australia Ask for Immigration Permission from Greece

By on April 10, 2011 in News

The Greek Community of Melbourne contacted the federal Department of Immigration and Citizenship of Australia.  The Community asked for sensibility concerning the request of Greek citizens to immigrate to Australia. Due to immigration provisions which are valid today, it’s almost impossible for someone coming from Greece to have a visa that would allow him to immigrate to Australia. As Mr. Papastergiadis claimed, he was before an inter-party committee and stated the Community’s views on the matter, while he also mentioned Greeks’ request to be allowed to immigrate to Australia. The members of the Committee (three Labor senators and three Liberals) said that they are aware of the problem and expressed their willingness to cooperate with the Greek Community for a possible solution.



  • John James Smith

    Why should Greeks have the special privelage into immigrating into our country? Next thing other third world countries will be crying for special treatment. Australia needs more westernised cultures that can blend in with our society. Lets bring the Japanese over with their skills & work ethics, we will not go wrong.

  • Anonymous

    Greeks should be encouraged to stay at home and pressure their government into creating a well-governed nation that takes care of all of its citizens. If Australia and others offer Greeks a safety valve every time things get tough, then the best will always leave and the docile will stay behind, thus allowing corrupt Athens governments to thrive. It’s about time that Greeks realised they cannot live off the goodwill of their ancestors but need to show what the MODERN Greeks can achieve … so far, I’m afraid to say that Modern Greeks have created a state that would shame many in the Middle East.
    So come on, Modern Greeks, instead of dreaming about opening a restaurant in Melbourne, let’s see you use your entrepreneurial (and academic) skills to create a truly fair and prosperous Modern Greek state that we can all be proud of.
    And Greeks of the diaspora, especially Greek Americans and Greek Australians, stop pampering Athens governments and the Greek Church and start putting the pressure on — you want transparency, progress, fairness, social justice, genuine liberty, the elimination of corruption, so that folk will want to pay their taxes.
    Come on Greeks, I’m waiting! Show the world you can do it!

  • kostas.mehmet

    The only people who would remotely qualify for Australian citizenship under the point system are the people that Greece sorely needs. Australia is a rich country – rich because not only does it have resources – it also has very high levels of human capital. Australia has very good schools. Every state of Australia has a university in the QS Global Top 100. Greece does not have a single one in the top 200! They speak the international language of business – English. Many young Australian business graduates finish university with Asian language skills.

    According to Eurostat, Greece has some of the lowest human capital in Europe. Bulgarians are even better skilled than us. Back in Athens they are cranking out more philosophy and history majors than engineers. Simply, the average Greek citizen would not compete in Australia’s job markets. The idea that our 600 Euro generation cousins back in Greece can come over here and do anything other than clean toilets or drive taxis is fantasy.

    Having special laws for us Greeks is insulting. The disabled have special rules to enable them to participate in society. Is being Greek a new type of disability?

  • http://www.carremigration.com.au/ immigration for australia

    its a nice place . i want to go to Australia but visa problem is there would you suggest me something

  • Sammy

    Firstly John James Smith Greece is not a 3rd world country and how can you say greece is not a westernized culture when it is the Greeks who started the western culture we live today. And what would a “Smith” know about culture anyway. 80% of Greeks have university degrees and the Greek education system is far more advanced than our Australian system. The reason greece is in the state it is today is to do with political plans which were put in place to break the economy and stop them intefering with the plans for globalisation. The Greek people are a intelligent race and it is now that they under pressure that the whole world will see them shine once again.

  • Tankgirl

    well your a dolt, simple as that. when was japan more westernised than greece? greece is a european country! it IS westernised your are a racist idiot. plain and simple. and the fact that you have no clue about what you talk about is the disturbing future for alot of australians.
    did you know that over 230 different cultures reside in Aus? and did you know that the greek community is not only one of the largest we have here but melbourne has the second biggest grek population after athens? greeks have proven to be a valuable ethnic group in this country since the 50′s and your attitude is that of an idiot white australian from that era. im sometimes ashamed to be called an english australian because of ppl like you.
    there is NO special treatment if you had have done your research you would know that even BEFORE the greek crisis it was VERY hard for greeks to immigrate here. there is a points system, and greeks have amongst the highest points to collect to get any form of immigration chances. they cant even get working holiday visas, let alone working visas. its INCREDIBLY hard for a greek to immigrate to aus.
    so before you start you “we’re full” attitude and your racist remarks on shit you DONT know about. maybe do some reading and quit being such a god damned narrow minded aussie bogan!

  • Mehmet?????

    Whether you like it or not a considerable portion of the australian population today is of Greek descent, especially in Melbourne. People that have proven their skills and abilities by becoming one of the most succesfull comunities in Austalia by working hard and staying of unemployment benefits unlike so many others …..
    And to answer to your idiotic remarks Simply Greeks from Greece today could easily compete in the australian market or nay other market given the fact that at least 1/3 of the university graduates in Greece hold diplomas and post graduates not only by Greek Universities but by UK, French and German Universities as well. I myself am an Greek Australian that live in Athens and hold (like most proffesional greeks) two degrees by foreing Univerisites (UK). In any case its good to know that morons like to post their idiotic remark posing as Greeks. Not your cousin mate

  • stef

    ahh sorry stupid, do you not know anything about history. Greece is the birthpace of western civilsation and melbourne and sydney are full of greeks and italians who play a very big part in the economy as they are buisness tycoons in australia. Greece is not a third world country either,