Beatrice Lang
Athens' refugee squats have provided housing for thousands of refugees since the 2015 spike in the European migrant crisis. These squats are run autonomously, without government or major NGO influence, and rely on donations and manpower from independent volunteers and activists. While the squats provide a much-needed alternative to the often inhumane conditions of official refugee camps, they face the challenge of securing basic utilities like electricity and water, as well as dealing with legal and political opposition to their existence.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of emergence | 2015 |
| Locations | Exarcheia, City Plaza, Papouchadiko, Zoodochou Pigis 119, Azadi, Clandestina, New Babylon, Corinth, Spirou Trikoupi, 5th School Likio, 2nd School, Khora Community Hall, School Squat 2, Jasmine |
| Number of refugees | 2,500-3,000 (2017 estimate) |
| Organisations involved | Solidarity groups, Red Cross, Greek Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees |
| Electricity | Yes, paid for by donations |
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What You'll Learn
Squats are run without government or NGO influence
The refugee squats in Athens, Greece, came into existence after the 2015 spike in the European migrant crisis. The squats are run autonomously, without government or NGO influence, and rely on donations and manpower from independent volunteers and activists. The squats are a response to the inadequate conditions in government camps, which suffer from issues like scabies, knife fights, food poisoning, inadequate facilities, and snakes and scorpions.
The squats are a demonstration of an alternative to the solutions offered by the European Union and NGOs. They are run by coalitions of solidarity groups and migrants, who work together to house refugees in abandoned schools, hotels, apartment buildings, and hospitals. The squats are grouped together in the Coordination of Refugee Squats, with notable projects including 5th School and City Plaza.
The 5th School Likio squat in Exarcheia, for example, was self-managed, with residents volunteering to distribute food donations and run the squat. Representatives of NGOs were not welcome. The squat provided language lessons, activities for children, and access to healthcare. Similarly, Housing Squat for Refugees and Immigrants Notara 26, the first empty building to be opened as a migrant shelter in Exarcheia in September 2015, operated on anti-authoritarian principles and refused to cooperate with NGOs.
The success of the squats is attributed to the hard work of volunteers and activists who help with cooking, cleaning, translating, securing the area, providing language lessons, art classes, and activities for children, as well as organizing group outings. These squats provide a sense of freedom and community for the refugees, who are grateful for the change from the inhumane conditions in official camps.
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Squats rely on donations and volunteers
Athens refugee squats have existed since the 2015 spike in the European migrant crisis. The squats are run without government or major non-governmental organisation (NGO) influence and rely on donations and manpower from independent volunteers. They are operated on a completely self-sustaining basis by local activists and volunteers from all over the world, who accept food and money to help residents.
Volunteers and refugees help with cooking, cleaning, translating and securing the area. They also provide language lessons, art classes and activities for children, and organise group outings. The squats are a safe haven for refugees, providing a loving community and a sense of freedom.
In one instance, a volunteer was pictured carrying a refugee girl up the stairs in the former Hotel City Plaza, which was being used as a squat home in Athens. In another, a refugee man living in a squat in Athens received dental care in Khora Community Hall. Volunteers also help with education, as seen in the case of Hesham, who ensured that volunteers would continue to provide daily lessons for children before setting off by foot to Germany.
Athens squats are a response to the inadequate conditions in government camps, which suffer from issues such as scabies, knife fights, food poisoning, inadequate facilities, snakes and scorpions. Squats like Jasmine are some of the few places where undocumented people can find accommodation with no questions asked. However, with no official funding, living conditions in the squats can be extremely tough. The success of the squats has been achieved autonomously, through the hard work of volunteers and activists.
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Squats provide a home and community
Athens refugee squats have existed since the 2015 spike in the European migrant crisis. Greece has been a destination for migrants seeking refuge on the European continent via the "Balkan Route". Coalitions of solidarity groups and migrants have established squats throughout Athens, mostly in Exarcheia, to house refugees. These squats provide a home and a loving community to the refugees.
Refugees in Greece, who initially believed they would only be spending a season in the country, now have to make a life for themselves there. With the help of volunteers, activists, and other refugees, this has become possible for those living in squats. There are a wide variety of volunteers assisting in different ways. For instance, volunteers and refugees help with cooking, cleaning, translating, and securing the area. They also provide language lessons, art classes, and activities for children, and organise group outings. The success of the squats has been achieved autonomously, with no help from government aid and without donations from large non-governmental organisations. The squats only accept donations and assistance from independent volunteers, which are used to pay bills for electricity, water, food, and medical supplies.
The squats are run without government or major non-governmental organisation influence and rely on donations and manpower from independent volunteers. Responsibility is divided among the residents. At Dakdouk’s original squat, a “local technical group” is the go-to for all maintenance and IT issues. There are plans to establish a bakery to produce bread en masse for residents and rooftop gardens to provide “for the soul and for the body”.
Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis has stated that, according to the latest calculations by the municipality, around 2,500 to 3,000 refugees and migrants are being housed in squats. Police sources say that number is actually smaller, adding that they know who has organised these occupations and who they're hosting. The squats are grouped together in the Coordination of Refugee Squats. Notable projects included 5th School and City Plaza. In late 2019, the New Democracy party declared it would evict all the squats.
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Squats are often in former public buildings
Squats in Athens, Greece, have existed since the 2015 spike in the European migrant crisis. They are often in former public buildings, such as abandoned schools, hotels, apartment buildings, hospitals, and offices that were left vacant after the financial crisis and government austerity cuts.
The first squat opened in September 2015 in the Exarcheia neighbourhood, which has a history of Greek anarchism. It was a former tax administration office that housed people from Afghanistan, Algeria, Iran, Morocco, and Syria. Other notable squats include the 5th School Likio, which was located in Exarcheia and housed around 200 refugees, mainly families, in 2018. The City Plaza squat, which was formerly Hotel City Plaza, hosted 250 to 400 refugees as of April 22, 2017.
These squats are operated by local activists and volunteers, providing an alternative to the inadequate and unsafe conditions in government camps. They rely solely on donations and volunteers' manpower to function, and residents actively participate in maintenance and daily tasks. While squats provide better living conditions than official camps, the lack of official funding makes life extremely challenging for their residents.
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Squat residents are reluctant to leave the premises
Athens refugee squats have existed since the 2015 spike in the European migrant crisis. Greece has been a destination for migrants seeking refuge on the European continent via the "Balkan Route". Coalitions of solidarity groups and migrants have established squats throughout Athens, mostly in Exarcheia, to house refugees. These squats are operated on a completely self-sustaining basis by local activists and volunteers from all over the world, who accept food and money to help residents.
Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis said that, according to the latest calculations by the municipality, around 2,500 to 3,000 refugees and migrants are housed in squats. However, police sources claim the number is smaller. Squat residents are reluctant to leave the premises for several reasons. Firstly, there is no easy path out of Greece, either legally or illegally. Days turn to weeks, months, and even years, and people get desperate. Some residents choose to leave the squat and walk across the continent with infants on their backs. However, many cannot afford to leave, and so they stay.
In addition, squats like Jasmine are some of the few places where undocumented people can find accommodation with no questions asked. For families who have slipped through the net of an overstretched, under-resourced, and complex asylum system, these school-turned-squats provide a lifeline. It is better to be in a squat than in a freezing tent, which is the reality for the 14,400 people still held on the islands.
Furthermore, the conditions in official shelters can be squalid. For example, in 2017, the City of Athens received a water bill for 15,484 euros for the building of the 5th High School on Prassa Street, which had been occupied for refugee housing. There had also been a phone bill of 2,000 euros for an active line that had not been deactivated. Because squat residents did not allow meter readers to enter, there had not been an electricity bill.
Finally, residents may be reluctant to leave due to the sense of community and support they experience in the squats. In the squats, residents volunteer to distribute food donations and run the squat. There are pro-integration activities, access to healthcare, and language learning opportunities.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, refugee squats in Athens have electricity. Squats are run without government or major non-governmental organization influence and rely on donations and manpower from independent volunteers. These donations are used to pay for electricity, water, food, and medical supplies.
Refugee squats in Athens are abandoned houses, hotels, and schools in the city center that have been turned into refugee accommodations. These squats are operated on a completely self-sustaining basis by local activists and volunteers from all over the world, who accept food and money to help residents.
According to the Mayor of Athens, around 2,500 to 3,000 refugees and migrants are housed in squats. However, police sources claim the number is smaller.
