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Seeking refuge in refugees

Glimpses of life in a Greek refugee camp through the diary of a young volunteer.

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NurPhoto/SIPA USA/PA Images. All rights reserved.
NurPhoto/SIPA USA/PA Images. All rights reserved.

Refugees and immigrants at the port of Piraeus, Greece. NurPhoto/SIPA USA/PA Images. All rights reserved.

Day one: excitement

Today I arrived at a refugee camp near Thessaloniki, excited but also fearful.

More than 150 families (mostly Syrian and some Iraqi) live in this converted factory. In spite of the number of inhabitants, the place feels soulless. I haven’t talked to the ‘residents’ yet, but I have randomly run into some children playing.