Return Migration of the Greeks from the Former Soviet Union. Reflections on the Diasporic Logics of Exclusion and Belonging

Abstract

The question of the “return” of the Greeks from the former Soviet Union stems from the conception of the Greek nation, but it was also motivated by geopolitical, economic, and demographic considerations. In Greece, these migrants have endured professional marginalisation and social and cultural divisions. The establishment of migrants’ associations and the formation of reverse diaspora namely at the edge of big cities are the visible consequences of this “return”. This article discusses the logics of belonging and differentiation within the migrant group, and between migrants and the natives. It also examines Greek repatriation policy vis-à-vis its’ diaspora, and the scientific, official, and informal terminology used to address this specific phenomenon of “return migration”. How have the Soviet Greeks been perceived and received in Greece, and how do they identify themselves and others? What are the new identities that are created by the migration experience? The article is based on field research and interviews conducted by the author with Greeks from the former Soviet Union, representatives of migrants’ associations, and authorities in Ukraine, Greece, and Cyprus between 2001 and 2015.