Mustafa Balbay
As you step away from Monastiraki Square, heading down to Athinas Street, the entire cityscape transforms within a mere five or ten minutes. The main thoroughfare carries an ambience reminiscent of the United Nations, while the side streets and avenues predominantly accommodate refugees.
My experiences with homelessness have spanned many global capitals, yet here in Athens, it feels different—almost as if the streets have been claimed as territories. From midnight until the first light of dawn, the streets belong to them. The majority hails from diverse regions, stretching from the depths of Asia to Iraq and Syria.
Engaging in conversation doesn’t require navigating language barriers or the necessity of English; just speak Turkish, and it suffices. If they don’t speak it themselves, the person beside them likely will. After all, most of them have journeyed through Turkey.
While traversing the streets of Athens, I came to a realization that isn’t an exaggeration:
Turkish has become a language of refugees!
Geography shapes not only the destinies of nations but also the paths of migration.
Diverse Lives of Athens’ Refugees
Refugees in Athens lead dual lives, distinct during daylight hours and under the cover of night. Markets remain open around the clock, catering to the needs of those living in challenging conditions and those who roam until dawn.
Upon entering one such market, I met Ahmet from Bangladesh. His time in Turkey was brief before arriving in Athens. His primary concern revolves around reuniting with his family members. And afterwards? Europe beckons. If not, he contemplates staying in Greece for a while.
Market names often appear in Greek and Latin scripts. Arabic and Asian languages appear in the smaller text just above and below these scripts.
My attention was captivated by a shop name that seemed akin to Turkish grocery culture:
“Saddam Hussen!”
Beneath the name, a sign reads “grocery,” accompanied by a photograph showcasing the available products.
In a way, they might seem more like Athenians than even the Syrians; their arrival predates others’. Those with trades are fortunate, given that the aspirations of Greek youth largely turn towards European countries, especially Germany. Migrants from Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan have held onto their ways of life instead of assimilating.
One lifestyle they embrace revolves around:
Growing their families as extensively as possible!
In nature, all living creatures are driven by two basic instincts:
Survival and propagation!
For those uprooted from their homelands, these instincts remain crucial. The church is one of the institutions keenly observing these developments. A recent statement underscores their concern:
Out of every 100 children born in Athens, 85 are foreigners. This poses a significant challenge to Hellenic culture!
Regrettably, one of the narratives defining the Aegean Sea is this:
A graveyard for migrants!
Approximately 25 thousand migrants have lost their lives in the past decade due to perilous boat journeys orchestrated by human smugglers or as a result of Greece repelling them back towards Turkey.
Migration has unquestionably taken a toll on Greece. Nevertheless, forcibly redirecting migrant boats into territorial waters and causing fatalities remains unjustifiable.
The history of slavery dates back millennia. At its core lies the wrenching act of being torn from one’s homeland and transported to foreign shores, either to be sold or used as a slave. The legacy of the slave trade constitutes a sombre chapter in history.
Today, however, the dynamic has flipped entirely. People aren’t transported across vast distances to serve as slaves; rather, they’re compelled to cross borders in a quest for a life resembling servitude. This represents a disconcerting global ploy that warrants exploration in a separate article.
While science and technology forge ahead, the question looms:
What about our shared humanity?
