While the Greek government is pleading with refugees and illegal immigrants to board the buses at Idomeni in northern Greece to relocate them to reception centers set up all over mainland Greece, the anarchists and other anti-authoritarian fringe groups are taking matters into their own hands by creating their own reception centers at University campuses. Anarchist groups have been forcefully occupying the historic Ginis building that belongs to the National Metsovian Polytechnic in Athens and turned into an ad hoc reception center for refugees and illegal immigrants for the past month. Members of the University community claimed they were removed from the building by the anarchists under the threat of violence. So far no one from the Greek authorities has responded to the violent and arbitrary transformation of a tax paid education facility into a refugee camp. The anarchists even released a statement explaining their actions and calling for a revolution against the state and capitalism. The historic edifice on Stournara Street in central Athens was erected between 1930-1935 and was as an examination and learning center for university students. Currently there are 100 refugees in the building, with the majority of them of Afghan origin. ‘Proto Thema’ has attempted repeatedly to contact the University’s Dean Gianis Golias but failed.

Meanwhile, the Greek government is desperately trying to find more spaces to host the increasing number of refugees and illegal immigrants, with much more waiting on the west coast of Turkey to cross into the Greek islands. An official document marked ‘Urgent’ obtained by ‘Proto Thema’ from the Greek Immigration Ministry shows that the authorities are calling on all local municipalities to suggest places to be used for the relocation of refugees and illegal immigrants.