Europe needs young workers: Greek defence minister points to Indian subcontinent for solution

Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias on February 8 said the Indian subcontinent could emerge as one of Europe’s most suitable partners for legal migration, citing the continent’s ageing population and near-negative population growth. 

Speaking at the India-EU Forum 2026, Dendias described migration as a long-standing global phenomenon but stressed the need for Europe to move towards a balanced and structured migration framework. 

“Migration is a world phenomenon. It was part of what was happening in the world in the past, and it will remain in the future,” he said. 

Europe’s demographic challenge 

Highlighting Europe’s demographic pressures, Dendias said population growth across much of the continent was “almost negative,” creating an urgent need for younger workers to sustain economic activity. 

“As you know, population growth in Europe is almost negative, so it is clear that we need young people to fill the vacuum. I think the subcontinent, with its current population structure, could be one of the best choices for legal migration,” he said. 

However, he emphasised that migration flows must be carefully designed to ensure mutual benefit for both origin and destination countries. 

“The big challenge for Europe is to formulate migration flows in a way that is beneficial both to the countries of origin and to Europe,” Dendias added. 

Warning on illegal migration 

The Greek defence minister also raised concerns over illegal migration, calling it a “totally disruptive” phenomenon fuelled by organised human smuggling networks. 

“This has to be addressed. We are facing an economic phenomenon of smuggling of people, which is huge,” he said, underlining the need for stronger international cooperation to combat trafficking and irregular migration. 

EU-India mobility agreement 

Dendias’s remarks come against the backdrop of a landmark EU-India Comprehensive Framework for Cooperation on Mobility, signed on January 27, 2026, aimed at facilitating legal migration for students, researchers, and skilled professionals while addressing labour shortages across Europe. 

As of 2024, nearly 930,000 Indian nationals were residing in the European Union, with Indians among the top recipients of EU residence permits. 

Key features of the EU-India Migration Framework (2026) 

• Mobility Pact: Eases movement for workers and students, offering three-year work permits for graduates and 30-day fast-track visa processing. 
• Legal Gateway: A pilot EU Legal Gateway Office will be launched in India to provide information and streamline migration, particularly for the technology sector. 
• Targeted Skills: Focus on attracting Indian talent in sectors facing shortages, including technology, science, and agriculture. 
• Structured Cooperation: Moves beyond visa facilitation to a broader partnership under Phase II (2023–2025), managed with the ILO and ICMPD, to promote legal, safe, and orderly migration. 

The framework builds on the 2016 Common Agenda for Migration and Mobility (CAMM) and aligns with the 2025 EU-India strategic partnership roadmap, with an emphasis on reciprocal benefits and managing irregular migration flows. 

Indian Subcontinent Could Be Europe’s Best Partner for Legal Migration: Greek Defence Minister 

2. Europe Needs Young Workers, Indian Subcontinent a Natural Fit: Greece’s Nikos Dendias 

3. Ageing Europe Looks to Indian Subcontinent for Legal Migration Solutions 

4. Greek Minister Flags Indian Subcontinent as Key to Europe’s Migration Future 

5. Legal Migration from India Can Fill Europe’s Demographic Vacuum, Says Greek Defence Minister 

Search Keywords (one line) 

Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias, India-EU Forum 2026, EU-India migration agreement, legal migration Europe, ageing population Europe, Indian workers EU, mobility pact 2026, illegal migration Europe, human smuggling networks, EU India strategic partnership 

If you want, I can tighten this into a 300-word wire version, or reframe it with the EU-India agreement as the lead instead of Dendias.