Omonoia Square has been turned into a camping ground for refugees and illegal migrants as dozens of displaced people have been offloaded to downtown Athens from various Aegean islands.

Just a few hours after a government announcement to offer travel documents to Syrian refugees, migrants spoke to Proto Thema describing their agony. The leftist government later revised the “travel doc” statement, and referrd to “all necessary documents” for granting asylum.

Gathering their few belongings close to them, they sit outdoors, trying to protect themselves from the evening cold, waiting to see what the future holds for them.

Mohammed, who says he is from Syria, told Proto Thema that he traveled from war-torn through Turkey before arriving in Athens “with the hope of getting the required paperwork to leave.” “We are 200 trapped people,” he says. “We just want the documents to leave.”

Immigrants that arrived on the morning routes from Piraeus gather in small groups trying to work together to find shelter, food and possibly short-term work that could be crucial to their livelihood.

Waiting at Katehaki Avenue for asylum papers

Meanwhile, dozens of immigrants line up while seeking documentation at the asylum offices at Katehaki Avenue. Lining up with the adults is a 3-year-old boy with an infection from a mosquito bite on account of sleeping with his family on the streets. The father begged for help to be given for his son. “Each day we come to the asylum offices. We wait for hours because we have been waiting for six months to get the travel documentations, but we leave empty-handed,” he said. “Please help my child who needs a doctor.”