This year’s upcoming visits to Australia by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Leader of the Official Opposition, Stefanos Kasselakis, are a shining example of the recognition, by those in the homeland, of the immense value of strengthening the ties between the homeland and the diaspora. Particularly as far as Greek politicians are concerned, following the recent introduction of the postal vote for those registered on the electoral rolls, Greeks of the diaspora will play a decisive role in shaping the political landscape of Greece.
Melbourne is considered to be the largest “Greek city” outside of Greece with the presence and influence of expatriates in all sectors being influential and prominent. It is therefore no coincidence that this year we will be honoured with visits of leading political figures from the motherland. Certainly, the frequency of such visits is expected to increase dramatically in the near future as our city is potentially a huge “constituency”.
Bearing in mind the facts and figures mentioned above, it is surprising that the staffing of our Consulate General in Melbourne is undeniably inadequate and unacceptable.
The Consulate General of Greece in Melbourne is called upon to serve the needs of hundreds of thousands of expatriates with four employees at its disposal!
The impeccable management of all matters within the jurisdiction of our Consul General, Emmanuel Kakavelakis, and the enormous efforts made by the Consulate staff are not sufficient to handle the affairs of the community in a timely manner. It is humanly impossible. One cannot comprehend that in order to obtain a passport one has to wait years!
Recently, a discussion among leading members of the community led the President of the Greek Community of Melbourne, Mr. Vasilis Papastergiadis, to send a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. George Gerapetritis, in which he expresses the concern of the Greek community regarding the “dramatic reduction of staff” of our Consulate General and, in conclusion, asks for the immediate response to the problem.
We would like to believe that Greece will “bend over backwards” to this real problem and take the necessary measures to solve it.
Our group, having daily and uninterrupted contact with the diaspora, has been highlighting this problem for many years.
The Melbourne diaspora is determined to continue its efforts until its demands are met and are willing to take further action if necessary.
