Since the Greek-Macedonian border was shut down for refugees who don't happen to be Syrian, Iraqi, or Afghani, all other refugees and migrants, people who had been camped out on the roads for up to 18 days or so where driven back to Athens and given shelter at the Tae Kwon Do Olympic Stadium. 

I visited the stadium on 13 December and spoke to Palestinian refugees from the Ain El Helweh refugee camp, the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon. It was established in 1948, when the first wave of Palestinians were driven out of their homes to make way for the creation of Israel. 
Clashes have always taken place in Ain el Helweh but recently the security situation has been exceptionally dire. In August, five people were killed and around 30 others wounded during clashes between Islamist factions and members of Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas's Fatah movement.

The Palestinian group I sat with in Athens were all born in Ain El Helweh and had established their own families there. Alaa, a Palestinian man in his late 30s, spoke to me of his disappointment upon arrival to Greece. "Europe turned out to be nothing but a lie," he said. 

His group is now stuck in Athens for an indeterminate period of time. They are not allowed to cross through Macedonia and they refuse to return home.

In the following clip, Alaa explains why they can't possibly return to Ain El Hewleh:

"Some people sold their houses, some sold their cars, others sold their furniture, even their interests they give up on. You might have a decent job, some things are going well for you. But then you find that this dream [of a better life in Europe] exists. The people who have already arrived before us, some of them realise that their coming here was wrong. They might have made a mistake by embarking on this journey. But you know, people who have made a mistake they can't show the world that they have failed, instead they want the world to think what they did was the right thing."

Palestinian Refugee in Athens (Clip 1)

Since the Greek-Macedonian border was shut down for refugees who don't happen to be Syrian, Iraqi, or Afghani, all other refugees and migrants, people who had been camped out on the roads for up to 18 days or so where driven back to Athens and given shelter at the Tae Kwon Do Olympic Stadium. 

I visited the stadium on 13 December and spoke to Palestinian refugees from the Ain El Helweh refugee camp, the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon. It was established in 1948, when the first wave of Palestinians were driven out of their homes to make way for the creation of Israel. 

Clashes have always taken place in Ain el Helweh but recently the security situation has been exceptionally dire. In August, five people were killed and around 30 others wounded during clashes between Islamist factions and members of Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas's Fatah movement.

The Palestinian group I sat with in Athens were all born in Ain El Helweh and had established their own families there. Alaa, a Palestinian man in his late 30s, spoke to me of his disappointment upon arrival to Greece. "Europe turned out to be nothing but a lie," he said. 

His group is now stuck in Athens for an indeterminate period of time. They are not allowed to cross through Macedonia and they refuse to return home.

Here, Alaa describes some of what they went through on their journey up until now:

"From the very beginning of our journey from Lebanon, we have been losing clothes and things. In the heart of Syria, we were robbed. In the heart of Turkey, we were robbed. In the [Aegean] sea, our belongings were drowned." 

In the background, you hear two boys, the children of another man traveling with Alaa's group, shouting out, "and in Homs too we were robbed!"

Palestinian Refugee in Athens (Clip 2)

Since the Greek-Macedonian border was shut down for refugees who don't happen to be Syrian, Iraqi, or Afghani, all other refugees and migrants, people who had been camped out on the roads for up to 18 days or so where driven back to Athens and given shelter at the Tae Kwon Do Olympic Stadium. 

I visited the stadium on 13 December and spoke to Palestinian refugees from the Ain El Helweh refugee camp, the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon. It was established in 1948, when the first wave of Palestinians were driven out of their homes to make way for the creation of Israel. 

Clashes have always taken place in Ain el Helweh but recently the security situation has been exceptionally dire. In August, five people were killed and around 30 others wounded during clashes between Islamist factions and members of Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas's Fatah movement.

The Palestinian group I sat with in Athens were all born in Ain El Helweh and had established their own families there. Alaa, a Palestinian man in his late 30s, spoke to me of his disappointment upon arrival to Greece. "Europe turned out to be nothing but a lie," he said. 

His group is now stuck in Athens for an indeterminate period of time. They are not allowed to cross through Macedonia and they refuse to return home.

According to Al Jazeera, at least 4,000 people have left Ain El Helweh in recent months. Alaa tells me how the idea of seeking a better life in Europe went viral in the camp. 

"In the area where we lived, if you go to the butcher's store you hear everyone talking about leaving, in the market they're talking about leaving, anywhere you go you hear people talking about leaving, in the cafes, even in our own homes, all anyone ever talks about is leaving." 

Hassan's friend, Salah, joins the conversation, "I never sat around doing nothing. I sell juice in the [Ain El Helweh] camp. I spent one month without any sales. Just sitting around doing nothing. So I decided to leave." 

"Do you understand now?" asked Alaa, "It became like a virus [this idea]."

Hiba Zayadin