STUDY ON ADEQUATE URBAN HOUSING FOR REFUGEES

1. Refugee situation in North Greece
1.1. Context
Since the early 2000s, Greece has been the major gateway into the European Union for migrants
and asylum seekers, mostly from the Syrian Arab Republic, Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2016, the
sudden closure of the Greece-Macedonia border on March 8 th and the agreement reached
between EU and Turkey on March 20 th led to a considerable drop in the number of refugee arrivals
in Greece and also limited their ability to continue their journey through the EU. Whereas it
previously served as a transit country, Greece has thus now become a home for thousands of
refugees.
The Greek Government estimates that 13,333 people are currently hosted in temporary sites set
up by the Greek government in Northern Greece
1. Others are currently living in accommodation
established mainly for relocation applicants by UNHCR and its partners (in the North and in
Thessaloniki, 1,597 people are accommodated to date)
2. There is also an unknown number of
people living outside the camps and official accommodation sites, either in rented accommodation,
squats or in the streets (see Figures I to IV in annex E).
1.2. Situation in the camps
While waiting for their applications to be assessed, the majority of people are living in camps,
which were hastily set up by the MoMP from March 2016, and are currently managed by the Greek
army. The opinion shared by humanitarian agencies after the first few months of operation is that
most of these camps do not meet minimum living standards (safe accommodation, especially for
women, sufficient number of toilets and showers, access to services, health and education,
electricity, etc.). The situation varies from one site to another: sometimes the camp consists of
tents or RHU aligned on a plot (Cherso camp), sometimes tents have been set up inside large halls
(Deverni camp), and sometimes the camp occupies existing military buildings (Veria camp).
Starting in October 2016, a national winterization plan was due to be implemented in camps to
ensure minimum protection against the onset of winter, including installing containers, distributing
heating systems, and even distributing additional tarpaulins and wooden pallets to keep out the
cold and rain. In early November 2016, however, the plan was still not operational, leaving the
majority of the camps’ residents increasingly vulnerable.
To cope with this situation, a recent report
3
drafted by 12 organizations emphasizes the urgent
need to open new alternative housing solutions to the camps.
! 1 As at the 1st of November http://geochoros.survey.ntua.gr/ekepy/
2
60% of available places currently being in hotels and 35% in apartments.
3
For more details see: More than Six Months Stranded – What Now? A Joint Policy Brief on the Situation for Displaced Persons in
Greece, October 2016.
NRC > Study on Adequate Urban Housing for Refugees in Thessaloniki !12