Greeks living in New Zealand expressed their frustration over the decision to suspend the operation of the Greek Embassy in Wellington, as well as the Greek government’s failure to provide a salaried Consulate that can serve the needs of Greeks living across the country.
In their recent letter, the Greek Communities, Organizations, Brotherhoods and Associations of New Zealand, as well as the Holy Metropolis, asked the Greek state to make a quick decision. At the moment, Greeks are forced to travel to Canberra, Australia, in order to settle their affairs, a trip that costs around 500 euros and lasts for 6 hours.
“We deem you decision unfair to Greeks in New Zealand, since the Greek state has not even provided a salaried Consulate that can serve the needs of Greek Diaspora members across the country,” noted the letter.
“The people who made this decision did not take into account the dynamic presence of Greeks in New Zealand, a country of 4.5 million inhabitants. It is estimated that 5,000-6,000 Greeks are currently living in the country, a number that has kept growing over the past three years after the economic developments in our country, Greece.”
“The Greek Diaspora in New Zealand and the Greeks who recently arrived in the country due to the economic crisis ask Greece and Greek politicians to respect our request and reply to our new proposal, which has been submitted since August 3, 2015. As Greek citizens with obligations and rights we demand that the Greek state does not rob us of our inalienable right for seamless transaction and connection to our homeland,” concluded the letter.
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