Migrants transported from isles now camped in several Athens squares

A handful of Athens’ main squares are now, unofficially, makeshift camp sites for Middle East refugees and third world nationals – primarily Afghans – who landed on Greece’s isles before being ferried to the mainland.

With more than 25,000 people alone transported from Lesvos to the greater Athens area over the past few days, Omonia square, Victoria square, parts of the Pedion tou Areos park and the gritty Vathis square on Thursday evening were covered by people of all ages lying on the pavement, soil, everywhere.

It emerged on Friday that the islands’ problem is now being transferred to central Athens, given that the third country nationals that are not Syrian war refugees are not eligible for travel under the asylum regime, thereby requiring that they find more clandestine means of travel to preferred destinations in western and northern Europe.

Victoria square, for instance, has been turned into a “little Kabul”, as the overwhelming majority of people camped there are from Afghanistan, most young males but also women traveling in families. Most families includes childen, although families traveling together are a minority.
The flow of migrants / refugees / irregular migrants being transported to the port of Piraeus continued at an accelerated pace this week, with the difference being that Syrian nationals are met with buses to take them to the train station for a journey to Greece’s northern border. Conversely, the Afghans get for one of Athens… open squares.

Protothema’s photographers shot these pictures on Thursday.