6,000 refugees and migrants are living in squalid conditions at the Hellinikon area in Attica, where the abandoned 2004 Olympic facilities are standing. Just a few meters from Poseidonos Avenue, running along the coast line of Attica, lies a modern day ‘Greek flavela’, with most people in the area completely oblivious of its existence.

Refugees and migrants crammed in building facilities at the former Hellinikon Airport are trying to do what they can to simply cope with what they have, which is little. Children, women and men of different ethnic backgrounds are sleeping in tents set up anywhere, even on the hall stairways, while the heat and lack of fresh air inside has forced them to smash some windows!

Space is so scarce that some have been forced to camp in the open, even the hockey stadium stands, exposed to the elements of the weather. The conditions will get even worse once the temperature starts rising as summer approaches. Signs written on the facility walls in both Arabic and English demarcate the Afghan from the Syrian quarters in the building to avoid possible confrontation, while another arrow sign leads to the make shift barber.

Local residents and groups have raised the warning bells of a possible ‘health bomb’ in the area. While the government promised to utilise the area for this purpose, it is clear the facilities cannot accommodate this number of refugees.