Abandoned Greek resort shelters grateful refugees

The 338 Syrians and Iraqis who have been living there since March say they’re grateful to be safe in seaside bungalows, but getting restless, eager to continue journeys they hope will take them to the more prosperous nations of western Europe.

Local authorities volunteered the resort, which had been abandoned for years, to a Greek government that encountered strong opposition from some other communities as it quickly tried to build camps for tens of thousands of stranded refugees.

[...] about 54,000 remain stranded in dozens of camps — and two makeshift tent cities — across Greece, awaiting asylum in the financially broken country or relocation elsewhere on the continent.

In several cases, local communities bucked sharply at their selection to host migrant shelters, some fighting for days with riot police.

“We could see the dramatic situation of these refugees, the children that drowned at sea, the difficulties they face — and that can’t leave you untouched,” said Morant, a doctor born in Homs, a city ravaged by Syria’s civil war.