Refugee Crisis in Greece
September 2017 - September 2018
While living in Eastern Europe during graduate school, I documented various aspects the Syrian and Iraqi refugee crisis by providing images for several writers who were working in Greece.
Syrian and Iraqi refugees present English projects to their instructor and peers during an evening English class in Skaramagas Refugee Camp, Greece, Dec. 4, 2017.
Stuck in camps at the border of Europe for indefinite periods of time, some individuals took the opportunity to study the language and culture of the areas they desired to be resettled. For many, their dreams would never become reality.
Members of the Kurdish diaspora in Eastern Europe organize a scheduled protest from Athens, Greece in order to draw European attention towards the ongoing conflict between the Kurdish nation and Turkey in Northern Iraq, Feb. 2018.
Owners and operators of makeshift businesses within Skaramagas Refugee Camp eagerly await the influx of additional refugees (and new clients) coming into the camp after being processed in the Cyclades, Nov. 25, 2017.
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“The Syrian people are unable to sit still and be without work for extended periods of time. We are hardworking people, and we will always find a means to work: for us, for our families, and most importantly for our communities.”
The boom of entrepreneurship in Skaramagas is the result of an increase in refugees living within the camp, an influx from the islands, along with a growing sense of restlessness as the inhabitants await the results of their legal status. This creates a perfect storm for business development.
— Sara Abdel Rahim, in a story about refugee entrepreneurship
