Hellenic Diaspora
During the crisis, 500,000 Greeks left the country in search of better opportunities; 67% of them held higher education degrees. This level of brain drain has been unprecedented in recent decades, yet it has created a new type of Diaspora. These primarily young Greeks joined a Hellenic Diaspora that consists of at least 3 million. Given Greece’s declining population, expected to drop from 10.3 million to 8 million by 2050, the role of the Diaspora is more important than ever. In this field, Deon Policy Institute aims to:
Strengthen the ties of the diaspora with the mainland, particularly through supporting voting rights
Support diaspora repatriation to help address demographic challenges and fuel economic growth,
Propose ways to promote soft diplomacy, strengthening the country’s influence on the global stage.
Beyond that, Deon also aims to identify opportunities to support the Diaspora’s needs, particularly focusing on improving the services currently offered by the Greek state abroad.
Diaspora Projects
EXECUTED
Increasing Greek Voter Registration Abroad
In 2019, Greeks living abroad gained the right to vote under specific criteria, but by January 2022, only 4,000 of an estimated 300,000-500,000 had registered. As a diaspora organization, Deon supported this effort with ten recommendations to increase registrations, primarily through targeted outreach to inform eligible voters. We also proposed two low-cost support measures for the Greek government, which were partially implemented. Our initiatives included creating a Greek voter registration guide and launching an awareness campaign, reaching 850 individuals and organizations to clarify eligibility and the registration process.
EXECUTED
Streamlining Voting for Expats
In late 2023, the Greek government announced plans to introduce mail-in voting for Greeks abroad in the 2024 European Elections, with mail-in ballots as the only option for these voters. Deon Policy Institute strongly supports this initiative to expand voting access and has advocated for streamlined registration processes. We recommended allowing registration with a Greek passport or national ID, rather than only through the Taxisnet system, which many second- and third-generation Greeks abroad don’t use. This recommendation was included in the draft law submitted to Parliament in January 2024. Deon has also suggested further ways to improve voter outreach and streamline the overall process.
EXECUTED
Developing a National Diaspora Strategy
In 2024, the Greek state created the first National Diaspora Strategy in over 20 years. To support the efforts of the administration, Deon Policy Institute prepared an exhaustive document with a full set of recommendations, outlining the needs of the Diaspora, and the ways the Diaspora can contribute to Greece’s progress and prosperity. More specifically, the institute contributed 28 recommendations of which 17 were incorporated in the National Diaspora Strategy presented to the public in November 2024. The institute is also currently preparing a full-report that showcases the evolution of the Diaspora, its composition, its needs, and its potential to contribute to the country’s development.