Business Christina Georgaki Op-ed – Why a Youth Mobility Scheme with the UK is good for Greece & Europe

At a time when Europe is wrestling with an aging population, labour shortages, and economic uncertainty, one of our most practical solutions lies in the hands of our Continent’s youth. A youth mobility scheme with the UK –something which has been flirted with by negotiators on both sides– would allow young people to live, work, and study abroad temporarily. Despite some challenges, it would not only enrich individuals but also have multilateral benefits for economies on both sides of the Channel and strengthen European unity.

As I have written about before, Gen Z across Europe are uniquely placed to be the first generation to marry the ability to work and travel – bringing with them digital fluency, enterpenurship and ambition. Since they make up an estimated 30% of the workforce, policymakers and business leaders can no longer afford to ignore them. We must begin crafting appealing solutions to Gen Z which go beyond traditional concepts of climbing the corporate ladder. A new UK-EU mobility scheme can form a large part of this.

While it may appear on the surface to be counter-intuitive, for Greece the benefits of a scheme could be transformative. Due to the economic mismanagement of previous governments, between 2010 to 2022, 1.08 million working age people left the country, of which 234,058 were aged 15-24 and 633,680 aged 25-44 years. This “brain drain” cut off huge swathes of our domestic Millennial talent. A more structured mobility programme could standardize investment migration patterns to Greece’s benefit, however. Rather than experiencing one-way departure, we could instead begin encouraging ambitious, entrepreneurial Brits to our country while ensuring our own domestic workforce returns home with new skills, networks, and perspectives.

The brain drain of the 2000s and 2010s is after all beginning to reverse under New Democracy’s leadership. Given Greece’s attractive tax regime for returners and administrative reforms to make it easier for professions like doctors to return home, we are seeing a resurgence of returnees. New data indicates that approximately 350,000 Greeks who migrated abroad between 2010 and 2021 have now returned, with 2023 seeing 47,200 repatriations – the largest influx of returning citizens since data collection began. It’s our society’s duty to bring these people back home and a mobility scheme will only enrich and entrench this further.

Economically, the scheme also addresses two pressing needs domestically. First, it eases youth unemployment, which remains higher in Greece than the EU average, by opening short-term opportunities abroad. Second, it helps fill labour gaps at home by encouraging reciprocal workflows. Young British people can contribute during peak seasons – from agricultural harvests to summer tourism – while of course bringing with them innovative investment ideas for longer term settlement.

Most importantly, youth mobility invests in the European ideal itself. At a moment when ultra nationalism is rife on our Continent, empowering young people to live and work across borders strengthens solidarity and trust. Supporting such schemes is not just pragmatic but symbolic – signalling that the shared future of our economies depends not on isolation, but exchange.

Both the UK and Greece are steeped in cultural heritage, from the global appeal of our language and history to the prestige of our universities. Enabling thousands of young people to experience life and work in a new setting only reinforces these shared social and economic ties.

Article written by Christina Georgaki, originally published on EuropeanBusinessMagazine