Michael Schwarz

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The In-Between

Photos and text by: Michael Schwarz

Michael covered the refugee crisis in Athens and Lesvos, Greece during the height of arrivals in 2016. Capturing the Moria riot fires - Michael's work was published across 32 publications internationally including The Huffington Post, The Guardian, and Associated Press Greece. 

After the riots, Michael moved his focus back to Athens. Here, he focused his imagery on families living in abandoned buildings, or unregulated refugee-run “squats". While technically illegal - the local government provided space for these squats to relieve pressure on the already growing homeless refugee population. While the living conditions in these buildings border on inhumane - it provides a safer environment than the streets or a camp.

Through a series of interviews, Michael examines how refugee-operated temporary housing is a safer, economic, and humane alternative to camps and homelessness.

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September 19, 2016 - Rocks crack off battered riot shields as Greek police form a line around a group of migrants outside Moria Refugee Camp in Lesvos, Greece. The overcrowded camp is home to around 4,000 refugees escaping war and poverty in their home countries. With the goal of making it to the more welcoming EU countries like Germany, Holland, or Sweden, many individuals are trapped in camps on the Greek island until their papers are processed. The crowd, consisting of Syrians, Afghanis, Iraqis, Pakistanis, and Nigerians, was small but mighty, flipping dumpsters and calling for a meeting with the police to discuss their delayed asylum.

The angry crowd continued to grow as police refused to meet with community leaders. "All the camp come united. Afghan, African, Arab people, all!" one Syrian migrant leader said. "Everyone say, 'We don't need your food, we don't need your water, we don't need your anything. Why are we here?'"

After an unsuccessful meeting with police, groups of angry migrants were reportedly seen throwing rocks and setting fires throughout the camp. According to witnesses, piles of trash were set alight, migrants clashed with police, and families began fleeing by foot. By nightfall over 60% of Moria Camp was on fire.

The fire burned for most of the night and displaced upwards of 4,000 migrants. Over 50 UNHCR units (used to house over 800 people) were destroyed and 30 individuals were hospitalized according to United Nations Refugee Agency spokesman William Spindler.

The next day NGO's, independent volunteers, and other organizations poured in to rebuild the camp. The charred tent shells were replaced with new shelters, fences were mended, and gravel was poured over the blackened mud. Children tossed a ball amidst the burnt tree trunks as a crowd began to line up for lunch. A palpable sense of frustration and defeat could be felt reverberating through the ranks of disheartened refugees. None of the problems brought to light the day before had been solved, only covered over, just like the charred dirt.

“Witnessing the charred remains of Moria camp is shocking but comes as little surprise. Holding thousands of vulnerable people on Lesbos in appalling conditions with no knowledge of their fate inevitably creates an incendiary atmosphere of fear and despondency," Giorgos Kosmopoulos of Amnesty International said. "The European Union and Greece cannot carry on stockpiling refugees indefinitely on the Greek islands. Instead EU leaders must share responsibility fairly and they must urgently start moving refugees to the mainland and onwards across Europe.”

Villagers have become increasingly less tolerant of homeless refugees. "They come here, and despite our situation, we give them food, water, and shelter. We are hospitable people, the Greeks, it's in our nature," said one local cab driver from Mytilini. "Then what do they do? They steal. They vandalize. They disrespect our flag. They don't appreciate what we give them. It's been too long. They have been here too long. Get them out. Out right now."

The island has one of the poorest economies in all of Greece, and has seen its tourism decline rapidly as refugees continue to arrive. Tourism arrivals from April to June dropped nearly 66 percent from 29,106 (2015) to 9,904 (2016). Charter flight arrivals on Lesvos recorded a year-on-year decline of 58.75 percent from April to October.

The refugees want to be in control of their own lives; choosing the food they eat, the place they live, and the job they work. They wish to reclaim the basic human rights taken from them upon leaving their home countries. The Greeks, who can barely keep their own economy afloat, are no longer able to support hundreds of incoming migrants each month. They want their tourism industry back. They want the influx of police and reporters to stop. They want to return to their normal lives. So what is the solution?

Moving thousands of people is easier said than done with only about 7 of the 28 counties in the EU accepting refugees at this time. The remaining countries have closed their borders, leaving 11,372 refugees stranded on the Aegean islands as of November 28, 2016 (5,918 on Lesvos, 3,701 on Chios and 2,182 on Samos). The application process for asylum can take anywhere from six months to two years, leaving many with no other option than to live in the camps.

With obvious issues like overcrowding, food shortages, racial tensions, and poor sanitation, the camps are no place to raise a family. Where are these individuals expected to stay during this transition? Eight months ago the answer would have been living on the streets, but due to a massive increase in homeless migrants, refugee-operated squats have begun to emerge within urban Athens.

Abandoned buildings are unofficially repurposed into independent housing for refugees to live freely. Advocates for these facilities say that they are run "by the refugees for the refugees." Racism, violence, and hunger are left at the door as everyone contributes for the greater good of the squat. "Live together, fight together, struggle together," said City Plaza Squat Security Manager Dimitri H. "That's our motto."

City Plaza is considered to be at the forefront of peaceful refugee assimilation. After thousands of homeless migrants were found overcrowding the streets of downtown Athens, "The Solidarity Initiative to Economic and Political Refugees" took action to renovate the 7-story abandoned City Plaza Hotel. The NGO, who identifies as "a coalition of antiracist and left groups and individuals" states the City Plaza Squat "emerged as a practical response to the repressive migration and border policies in Greece, the EU-Turkey Deal, and the militarization of the borders."

Rooms within the Plaza are highly sought after. "We rarely have a vacancy. And when we do, there's an incredibly long waiting list," said volunteer Martteo Puzziezzo. The facility currently houses 400 people, 180 of which are children. Each family is given a room, shared bathroom facilities, and 3 meals a day.

In exchange, the family is expected to complete an assigned list of weekly chores. These tasks may include cooking, cleaning, security, or even serving at the City Plaza coffee bar. The hotel also provides washing machines, daycare, educational resources, and medical care.

"When there is not enough of something, people start to blame [speaking of Moria Camp]," said City Plaza Security Manager Dimitri H. "Here in Plaza, we don't have that issue. Everyone has what they need."

Squat advocates claim that having the ability to govern themselves has lead to a decrease racial conflicts, violence, hunger, and illness amidst the refugee population staying in properly organized squats. The Greek government does not legally sanction the squatting of abandoned structures, but unofficially provides electric and water.

This means City Plaza receives no government funding and relies solely on donations. "I think the state could do more," Dimitri continued. "But with the economy, it's difficult you know." The facility is supported by a consistent flow of volunteers since opening its doors on April 22, 2016.

Christian Herrera, a chef from Spain, closed down his food truck business and moved to Athens to manage the kitchen in City Plaza. Here, he and a staff of young refugees and volunteers prepare roughly 900 meals per day. Several months after Herrera began working at City Plaza, he was arrested for "cooking for the refugees," he explained. While he would not reveal the official reason for his arrest, he continued to comment on the racism found pulsing through the ranks of Greek police.

"Sometimes police and fascists [Golden Dawn Members] show up outside the building," Dimitri, Head of Security said. "They yell, 'We'll fuck you, we'll burn you.'" AlJazeera reported that 13 polling stations where "hundreds of police" voted pulled in a 20% vote for the far-right Golden Dawn party as compared to a mere 6% from all other civilian-only polling stations.

Last year, the party rose to the third most powerful in Greece, with a 7.8% Greek vote. "They have a racist agenda that appeals to the masses," Dimitri continued. "The far-right is on the rise, utilizing hatred toward the refugees to gain power. 'Greece for the Greeks,' thats what they say."

This is not the only challenge refugees face. After arriving in Greece with nothing, there is no legal way for them to acquire a job. Syrian IT Engineer Mohammed Alshmas commented on the vicious cycle. "In order to get a job, you need a tax number. In order to get a tax number, you need a legal place of residence. In order to have a legal place of residence, you need money. In order to have money, you need a job," he said with a hollow laugh. "See where I'm coming from?"

To help manage these issues refugees and volunteers have organized weekly meetings to discuss "further planning and articulation of struggles for decent living and social integration of refugees and immigrants." City Plaza has been open for less than eight months and already has seen immense success providing relief, shelter, education, and medical support for refugees in need. "It's important to indicate that Plaza is not just helping out because they are poor souls in need," Dimitri H. said. "It's a political movement for human rights."

Jasmine School, a squat housing 350 refugees, is located just down the street from City Plaza. Unlike Plaza, the building is deteriorating, volunteers and food are scarce, sanitation is non-existent, and donations are inconsistent. The once-abandoned school was squatted exclusively by refugees in the early spring of 2016.

The rooms, each sleeping upwards of 15 people, have missing windows and no doors. Areas are partitioned into sections using bedsheets hanging from the deteriorating ceiling tiles, and privacy is not an option. It is one of six other squats just like it, and represents the norm for refugee housing in Athens.

Jasmine School depends exclusively on local vendor donations and independent volunteers. With City Plaza located down the street, demand is high. "Bread is what we need most. Donations from local bakeries," Jasmine School refugee leader Muhammed Alhamit commented.

"We can't handle the number of people. We aren't focused on getting heaters for the winter, just bread."

Volunteer Pedro Rocha E. Mello, of the Jesuit Refugee Service elaborated on the struggle to find sufficient food contributors. "There are so many needs here. They have not had hot water in three weeks," Mello said. "Food is running low, just one meal a day at this point. The only solution is to speak to donators. The problem is big corporate food producers cannot act here because it is illegal. But if they donate to an independent volunteer organization like us, [we can do something.] It's just bureaucracy."

Due to the lack of funding, Jasmine School cannot provide proper medical care, educational opportunities, or counseling. This means depression, attempted suicide, and other illnesses are common. "There is a man here that just found out his entire family died in Syria moments ago," Mello said. "He says he no longer wants to live. He was crying saying 'Why am I alive? My wife is dead. My children are dead. My mother is dead.' So it's very complicated here."

Prostitution has allegedly been reported within squats like Jasmine School. "Women who's husbands are fighting back in Syria have no way to feed their children," said Syrian refugee Muhammed Shimshonty. "Give her a look and she will take you. 10 minuets, 10 euro."

Relocation remains a top priority for every refugee. This is an extremely laborious process, and leaves many migrant families trapped in Athens for up to a year or more. "The relocation now is being really controlled because of tension caused by the contract between Turkey and the EU," Pedro Rocha E. Mello said. "It's hanging by a thread. If they [the refugees] do anything wrong, it's over."

For Syrian University students Nour Aldeen Almasare and his cousin Muhammed Shimshonty, scholarships and asylum programs are their best option to legally leave Greece. Both of them studied anesthesiology in Aleppo. "I wish to complete my university in Syria, but I can't," Nour said. "Every time they [Syrian military officials] ask, 'Where is your ID card?' You want to study, no you must go to army and fight."

"We are waiting to see if we are accepted to the program or not," Muhammed said nervously glancing at the ground. "Should take about 4-5 months, then we have two interviews, and if we pass those, another 9 months for our visa applications to be processed."

Ali Alowi (pictured below), or Alush for short, has been living in Jasmine School for seven months. Alush and his family are attempting a journey in January to one of the few countries in the EU accepting migrants at this time; Germany. Unable to afford the cost of legally entering the country via plane (over 7,000 euro for the entire family), they plan to use smugglers to sneak them over five borders and nearly 1,800 kilometers.

This is extremely dangerous and a last resort for large families. As of December 18, 2016 4,812 refugees have died in similar smuggling operations; a number that easily surpasses last year’s 3,771 deaths. Despite a sharp decline in migrant arrivals (around 350,000 against more than one million in 2015), many correlate the rising death toll with hazardous smuggling tactics as European countries continue to close their borders.

Hope is on the horizon however, with volunteer organizations like the Syrian Solidarity House and the Jesuit Refugee Service stepping up to help to help at Jasmine School. Improvements include the installation of a new hot water heater, repairs to broken windows and doors, the building of a security booth, and the arrival of new volunteers at the end of October.

This is just the beginning however, as immigration policies continuing to tighten, many migrant families expect to be awaiting asylum in Greece for up to a year or more. Squat manager and Syrian Solidarity House member, Kastro H. estimates there are around 2,000 refugees living in the six operating squats, and another 1,300 still on the streets. The challenges continue, but for now, communities like Jasmine School offer refuge for those waiting in the in-between.