Rebrain Greece - Why Greeks Won't Be Coming Back

When we discuss issues of migration in EU countries, most of the attention is given to foreign immigrants entering and the exhaustive consequences of such burgeoning influxes. However a similar, equally important, and often overlooked issue is the large-scale emigration of an EU country’s own young professionals in search of better opportunities abroad. Greece is one of the European countries at the forefront of this crisis. Over the past decade, an estimated 500,000 Greeks, many of them highly skilled professionals, have left the country, a phenomenon commonly referred to as the "Greek Brain Drain". Should this slide continue, Greece risks a severe demographic and economic calamity, including a shrinking workforce, stagnating innovation, and an increasingly unsustainable pension system. As the Greek economy struggles to recover from past crises, attracting talent back is seen as a priority—but without fixing the root causes of emigration, these efforts are hamstrung.

Rebrain Greece is the government’s effort to reverse this trend by enticing expatriates to return. Launched in 2019, Rebrain Greece was designed to connect highly skilled professionals with job opportunities in Greece, offering financial incentives to encourage their return, such as income tax reductions of up to 50% and salary subsidies, with some offers allegedly exceeding €3,000 per month for specialised roles, in an attempt to compete with foreign wages. To promote the initiative, the Greek government and participating companies have hosted presentations in multiple countries, including the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Germany, hoping to persuade skilled professionals that now is the time to come home. The London presentation, with over 1300 attendees, has been touted as the initiative’s most significant success to date. 

At first glance, the initiative appears to have gained some traction, with hundreds attending information sessions and several dozen companies expressing interest in participating. However, a closer inspection reveals a more lukewarm and sceptical reaction. Many argue—and justifiably so—that the initiative is destined to fail because it ignores the fundamental reasons why people left in the first place. Those who have already established lives abroad, complete with stable careers, social networks, and in many cases families, are unlikely to return for a marginally better salary. The reality is that many expatriates have worked hard to build stability in their new countries, and moving back to Greece comes with significant financial costs, uncertain career prospects, and a job market that lacks long-term security. Even among those who voluntarily return to Greece, studies suggest that a majority (estimated around 60%) do so for emotional reasons—such as a desire to be close to family—rather than economic incentives. If emotional ties alone are not enough to bring people back, financial incentives without systemic change are even less likely to work. Incidentally, saying the meetings were successful is a stretch. A Reddit user who attended Rebrain Greece in Amsterdam reported that speakers admitted harsh working conditions in Greece. A bank representative said returnees should forget “work-life balance” and expect to work weekends for the “company’s vision.” Other companies warned of unpaid overtime, strict leave policies, and generally worse conditions than abroad. While we should take these claims with a grain of salt, the comments strike uncomfortably close to reality to those of us who remain in the country. 

The core problem is that Rebrain Greece addresses only the result of brain drain, not its root causes, and the reality of working conditions in Greece remains a major deterrent to both returning expatriates and those currently living in the country. The minimum wage, despite recent increases, remains insufficient to cover the rising cost of living, currently standing at €830 per month (gross), far below the European average and overtime work is common and often unpaid. Greece ranks among the worst in the EU for work-life balance, with long working hours and expectations to be available beyond official working times. Workers, especially those in seasonal jobs and the tourism industry, are underpaid and overworked. In an attempt to counter this, the government implemented the highly polarising six-day workweek for certain sectors and introduced restrictions on work hours, but these measures may have exacerbated the problem by increasing worker burnout and dissatisfaction. Additionally, Greece’s high tax rates, which have fluctuated multiple times in recent years, further erode disposable income, making it difficult for professionals to build financial security. 

To truly reverse brain drain, Greece must address the systemic issues driving people away. This, of course, includes raising wages to a competitive level, ensuring better work-life balance, tackling job insecurity, and reducing tax burdens, but companies must also commit to fair hiring practices, transparent career progression, and professional development opportunities. Without these changes, even the most well-intentioned repatriation programmes will fail to attract the talent they seek. As it stands, Rebrain Greece is more of a public relations campaign than a genuine solution. At best, it serves as an advertisement for Greece’s supposed economic recovery; at worst, it is a hypocritical attempt to pacify public frustration. Offering financial incentives to return is meaningless if the same poor working conditions that drove people away remain unchanged. Until Greece takes real steps to improve working conditions for those already in the country, no government initiative will be enough to bring back its lost talent.

Image: Wikimedia Commons/Mstyslav Chernov

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