The intergovernmental committee that forever changed our lives (Part 2)
Source: NEOS KOSMOS
Continued from last week – Read The ICEM legacy: How Greece and Australia forged a migration path to new beginnings (Part 1)
The relationship between the ICEM and travel agents or immigration agents in Greece was, to put it simply, conflicted,” Dr Limnios-Sekeris said.
“With the advent of the ICEM, travel agents lost a significant portion of their clientele, as the ICEM streamlined and subsidised migration processes. This led the unified body representing Greek travel agencies to actively oppose the ICEM. They used political and legal means, as well as campaigns in the Press, in an attempt to curtail its activities—though ultimately without success.”
As an intergovernmental organisation, the ICEM also effectively served as Greece’s national migration service, filling the void left by the absence of a dedicated state agency.
“In this capacity, the ICEM worked to protect prospective migrants from exploitation,” Dr Limnios-Sekeris said. “For instance, whenever individuals or groups falsely posed as ICEM representatives in towns or villages to extort money from hopeful migrants, or when misleading advertisements or false information about destination countries appeared in the press, the ICEM promptly notified the Ministry of Interior and local prefectures in order to protect the prospective migrants.”
Migrant reception centres
When migrants arrived in Australia through the ICEM, they were directed to the Australian Government’s Migrant Reception Centres.
“Many readers will remember, or have heard of the Bonegilla Migrant Reception and Training Centre. Located in Victoria, it was the largest of its kind in Australia. At Bonegilla, as in other centres, migrants spent their first weeks attending English language classes and lessons on adapting to life in Australia. They underwent additional medical examinations and visited the centre’s Employment Office, where their qualifications were recorded to help match them with suitable jobs, whenever possible, based on their skills and preferences.”
It is important to remember, he adds, that migrants arriving through the ICEM -much like the refugees who came earlier through the International Refugee Organisation- signed a two-year employment contract which allowed the Australian Government to place them in any job required, often heavy manual labour that the already-settled population avoided.
“During their stay in centres like Bonegilla, migrants received a small unemployment allowance, while they awaited work assignments.”
The living conditions at these centres often received considerable negative coverage in the media in Australia and in Greece “particularly during economic downturns and periods of increased unemployment, such as in 1953 and 1956.”
“Criticism ranged from reports of inadequate food, clothing, and sanitation to descriptions of the centres as ‘concentration camps with wires.’ Such conditions, coupled with confinement, often led to a decline in morale among migrants. However, there were also many who stayed only 3–4 weeks before securing employment and beginning their new lives in Australia.”
The people behind the numbers
“Interestingly, the story of the ICEM is one that has not been well researched, despite its significant role in Australia’s population growth and the lives it transformed for many migrants and the families they left behind,” Dr Ioannis Limnios-Sekeris remarked.
“In fact, even my own relatives who emigrated to Australia or South Africa were unaware of the details of their migration. It was a great, yet beautiful, surprise when I came across their records in the ICEM archives.”
Dr Limnios-Sekeris notes that immigration was not always a success story. “For some success came years later, but the road to it was often difficult and at times painful.”
“I remember some letters sent by migrants through the ICEM shortly after their arrival in Australia. These letters revealed the hardships they faced—deprivation, fear, frustration, and feelings of nostalgia, during the early stages of settlement.”
He explained that “such aspects are not always evident in letters they sent home, where their living conditions were embellished, so they wouldn’t burden their families with worry.”
Dr Limnios-Sekeris notes the importance of considering the historical context of those times. “In the 1950s and 1960s, many in Greek society, especially in rural areas, were unfamiliar with modern household appliances, indoor plumbing, or even soft drinks.”
“I remember reports from the ICEM archives that described girls from the Greek countryside attending domestic work courses. Some were so unfamiliar with basic modern amenities that they washed using the water running down toilet bowls, as they had never encountered anything like it before.”
“In another account, one young immigrant in the 1960s recalled with awe drinking his first Coca-Cola at a ferry stop in Colombo.”
The “Immigration Operation”
“The history of passenger shipping bearing Greek flag along the sea route between Greece and Australia began with ‘ΕΛΜΕΣ’ in 1947. The company occasionally made trips to Australian ports until 1952 with the ship ‘Cyrenia’ and then again from 1954 to 1956 also with ‘Tasmania’. However by the end of 1959, A. Chandris established the first regular passenger shipping line, the Greek-Australian Line, which operated until 1977.”
Behind the operation of these passenger lines “was the financial support of the International Refugee Organisation (IRO, 1946-1951) and the ICEM, which not only activated the Greece-Australia line but also influenced the economies involved, creating competition among shipping companies.”
For instance, Dr Limnios-Sekeris explains, before the establishment of the Chandris line, I. Latsis had expressed interest and began negotiations with the Greek government and the ICEM in 1956 for the purchase of two ships to operate on the Piraeus-Australia line.
“However, delays in his plans allowed Chandris to seize the opportunity, ultimately associating the name of the first ship, ‘Patris,’ with Greek post-WWII migration to Australia.”
“But even the Chandris line faced challenges. From the outset, it encountered competition from Passenger and Cargo Conferences. When the ‘Patris’ was launched, these Conferences imposed an embargo on their agents in Australia, prohibiting them from selling tickets and loading cargo on the ship, attempting to force Chandris out of the market.”
Despite this, Chandris persisted. “The exit of the Greek-Australian Line was not due to this competition, but rather the rise of air travel and a decline in Greek immigration to Australia during the 1970s.”
When discussing migration through the ICEM, it’s clear that economic interests played a significant role.
“The ICEM existed because of its member states. Greece and Italy, both migrant-sending countries, were also traditional maritime nations, operating commercial passenger lines to migrant destinations like Australia and North America.”
“Both countries pressured the ICEM to ensure their migrants traveled on ships under their flag, supporting the sustainability of these maritime routes. They framed their arguments with a humanitarian angle, emphasising that the ship provided migrants the opportunity to mentally prepare for settlement in a new country. Additionally, English language courses were offered on board for those migrating through the ICEM.”
Was there an Intergovernmental Agreement between Greece and Australia?
Dr Limnios-Sekeris provides a clear answer: “No. This question has almost reached ‘mythical’ proportions in historiography, as many confuse subsidised migration through the ICEM with bilateral migration agreements that Australia signed with European countries like Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands.”
“Greece never signed a bilateral migration agreement with Australia, although it sought to do so between 1952 and 1954. However, for Australia, Greek migration was not a priority, and the immigration flow through the ICEM was deemed sufficient.”
“From 1959 onward, when immigration from Northern Europe began to decrease, Australia considered the possibility of signing an immigration agreement with Greece. But Greece resisted, as such an agreement would require it to equally contribute to the costs of preparing and transporting migrants.”
“Meanwhile, intra-European migration, which was seen as more beneficial to the national economy, had already been boosted. The only immigration convention signed between the two countries was the 2014 Work and Holiday Visa, which came into effect in 2019.”
Preserving history
Dr Ioannis Limnios-Sekeris’ interest in migration history is deeply personal, rooted in his family’s experience. Growing up in Nea Alikarnassos, a suburb of Heraklion, Crete, which was built after the Asia Minor Catastrophe to welcome the Asia Minor refugees, he was surrounded by stories of displacement and migration. “My grandparents and their parents were among them as children.”
His own family migrated in the 1950s and 1960s to various destinations; Australia, South Africa, Argentina, and West Germany.
“Hence migration, has always been part of my family’s narratives, and way of life. My academic engagement with the study of migration, however, came much later, when I attended a seminar on Greek migration whilst studying at the University of Crete. At that time I chose to research Greek migration to Australia, which then continued at a postgraduate level. Whilst researching the ICEM, I discovered and understood even better, members of my family who for years have lived and worked in Perth. I later extended my research through participation in European academic research projects and clearly through my PhD thesis.”
Dr Limnios-Sekeris highlights the importance of preserving the history of migration, stating that “the wealth of Australia, and every country, is its people, their experiences, and the historical facts that their journey and acculturation bring.”
He acknowledges the progress made in collecting and preserving oral testimonies but adds that this effort is far from complete.
“Documents, letters exchanged with relatives, photographs, and objects that every migrant may have in their home and may consider worthless, can contribute to a new synthesis of the history of Greek migration to Australia and are worth preserving.”
*Dr Limnios-Sekeris encourages individuals who have preserved such material to share it, urging them to forward any relevant information to Neos Kosmos at editor@neoskosmos.com.au and/or to Dr. Limnios-Sekeris at limniosg@gmail.com.
The original article: belongs to NEOS KOSMOS .
