New Hampshire State Representative Efstathia C. Booras, Rhode Island State Senator Leonidas Raptakis and Minnesota Senate President Sandy Pappas in asking their respective U.S. Congressional delegations to take action in response to the ongoing financial crisis engulfing Greece by calling for an increase in the quota limit of Greek nationals to enter— and work— in the United States.
With youth unemployment rates in the country at a staggering 50%, the legislators are asking federal officials to raise the quota limit to allow more Greeks to enter the United States as their nation’s economy has gone into a free-fall. Both Senators and State Representative state that by allowing Greek nationals with solid, marketable job skills to come into the United States to put their talents to work, the US government would be providing an important lifeline to Greece.
“While the financial meltdown in Greece has been in the news of late, the horrible economic conditions and youth unemployment rates have become a disturbing way of life for a generation of young Greeks,” said Raptakis. “We have a chance here to take a basic step that will help provide some measure of relief to a country which has been a strong ally of the United States for many decades.”
Pappas added, “This crisis has taken a terrible toll on the aspirations of educated, young Greeks who cannot find work and have little hope for the future. This would be a gesture of good will that will demonstrate to a new generation of Greek citizens that the United States is in their corner and willing to help in a time of need.”Booras added, “In times of crisis, people are under a lot of strain, We Pray that the end result will be bring people together and strengthen the sense of common purpose.” “Greece and the United States relations go back decades, and we will continue to do all we can to sustain and strengthen these ties.” “Greece is suffering, the Greek people are suffering, the youth are suffering, and now’s the time for the United States to assist the Greek people, by allowing Greek nationals with solid, marketable job skills to come into the United States to put their talents to work.”
Booras, Raptakis and Pappas pointed to the support America provided Greece in the years following World War II as a model for taking action here. While the US cannot fix the Greek economy, it can help provide an avenue of opportunity for young Greek citizens at this time of extreme crisis.
“By allowing educated Greeks with strong job skills to come to the US, we can actually allow young people to put their job skills to work as engineers, doctors, and in a range of professional fields,” the Senators and State Representative said in an official statement. “The sad reality is that right now, many of those talented people are languishing in unemployment or toiling in low-end jobs that have nothing to do with their skills.”
3 comments
Does this mean there’s a market for the braindrain from Greece? I prefer to get jobs for them in Greece!
I observed an incredible appetite for learning all that they could about IT when I visited with young millennials in both Athens and on Paros (where I lived, teaching English privately for 18 years). They told me that many major IT companies are eager to do business on a large scale in Greece as soon as the endless paperwork to get permission to do so it lifted or at least simplified. Technology is in their DNA and they are breathtakingly smart. I agree that more work permits be issued here for those who qualify but have faith that the Greek Government will move swiftly to make doing business in their country easier! That would be the best of both worlds.
Thank you Nansake!! That’s very kind of you!! Perhaps, more people who are in a position to do so, will come forward, as you have, and help the people of Greece…:)