Syrian refugees in Hotel Elena in Nea Chora, 2014-2017

Their accommodation at the hotel was both a result of negotiations between different municipal bodies and the culmination of the pressure applied to local authorities by some of the city’s political groups. 

Immediately after the refugees had settled in the hotel, groups such as the Migrants’ Forum in Crete, the Chania Social and Migrant Centre, and the Rosa Nera Squat (where some of the castaways had found shelter for a few days) organised solidarity actions and tried to raise awareness about the issue among the local residents. Educational bodies, sports associations, parent groups, left-wing parties and other civic groups contributed to the material support of the refugees and the collection of essential items. The local press published articles expressing sympathy towards the rescued refugees and admiration for the citizens’ solidarity efforts.

The refugees themselves tried to make it clear from the start that they wished to be issued travel papers so that they could safely continue their journey to Northern Europe. They first tried to achieve this goal collectively by organizing actions, press conferences, and making announcements, but the process proved time consuming and complex, leading the refugees gradually away from collective action and towards individual and family strategies and the adoption of both legal and illegal migration practices.  

In August 2014, about 60 refugees, including 25 children, were still staying at the hotel. According to public complaints lodged by the hotel owner and solidarity organizations, these children received no support. On August 11, 2014, some of the refugees even went on a short hunger strike. At the end of the summer, even though the responsible authorities had not found new accommodation for the refugees, the police attempted to evacuate the hotel, but the refugees refused. In September 2015, 17 months after their arrival, about 30 refugees were still staying at Hotel Elena, thanks to the tolerance and support of the hotel owner. The last refugees left the hotel in the summer of 2017.  

The presence of the refugees on Nea Chora Beach transformed the social uses of the wider area around the hotel, brought the residents of the neighbourhood into contact with these new populations and, especially in the beginning, established relationships between the refugees and the residents which were based on solidarity and support, even if temporarily. The young refugees got a chance to socialise in the area, learn their first Greek words, start school, and play at the local park. It was a unique form of co-existence, particularly in the summer, when tourism changed the uses of urban space and upset the balance in the neighbourhood.