Today there seem to live roughly 1500 Indian and 1700 Pakistani citizens legally in the country . The number of illegalised might be much higher.
Baweja (1997) describes the drowning of a ship full of 'South Asian' migrants in the Mediterranean. 'Indian' and 'Pakistani' agents in Greece had organised the trip, received the survivors there and treated them so badly that they left their hiding. Only few could prevent arrest and deportation by the Greek police and are supposed to stay with the other estimated 8,000 to 10,000 illegalised 'South Asians' in the country. According to Vinayak (1997, 40) Greece is the major launching centre for illegalised 'Punjabi' migrants into different 'European' countries. Other newspaper articles tell similar – if less dramatic stories – of agents in Greece organising illegalised entries and many of these failing.
For those 'South Asians' living in Greece not only the illegalised status can be dangerous, there is also the threat of racist violence.
For statistical material click here (pdf-file).