Stranded
in Greece.
2016
A few glimpses into refugees' lives in Sounio Camp (southern tip of Greece mainland) and Athens during September of 2016. Shots from my position as a volunteer living among them.
In 2015, hundreds of thousands of people fleeing violence and conflict —the majority from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan— chose Greece as their entry point to Europe. It wasn't long before the islands and mainland got overcrowded with camps and urban settings where these people had to remain stuck for months, waiting for their asylum cases to be addressed.
A Syrian man rests on a chair holding a friend's baby as the night falls in the camp.
"Hello, my name is Emily and I'm 20 years old and I'm from USA ♡", written by an Afghan 17-year old girl and quickly smudged afterwards.
A kid punished to stay out of class, in the camp's school, during crafts lesson.
Kids playing in the sports field.
An Afghan playful kid feeling curious about the camera.
Three Syrian sisters take a break in the sports field.
An Afghan woman teaches her son how to play hopscotch.
The Afghan son concentrated on his new game.
A Syrian kid plays hopscotch on her own.
An Afghan teen proudly shows his newly pierced ear, mocked by her sister.
A young Syrian girl hangs out with his baby brother.
Volunteers work on the weekly distribution of hygiene products.
A volunteer tries to make progress in her bonding with a shy dog that keeps sneaking in the camp.
Children's cinema night.
Refugees and volunteers inevitably become friends. After their paths break apart, they commonly meet up at every chance they get. I took these photos the first day a fellow volunteer and I reunited with a group of refugees in Athens, some time after they had left Sounio Camp, where we met.
Most of the 50.000-plus asylum seekers in Greece will likely remain in the country. Integration is now one the key challenges this country needs to face, along with its ongoing economic crisis, to ensure it becomes a safe new home for these people to build successful lives in.
