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Almost 30,000 Romà from Albania and Bulgaria have entered Greece during the last two years. Since 1998, one thousand Romà, have lived in a slum in Botanikos area, just 3 km from Acropolis, in the municipality of Tavros. This township is in the heart of the crisis-hit Athens, where the first Botanical Garden of the world was created in the 4th century BC by Theophrastus, the most famous student of Aristotle. About 500 children from infant to 15 years of age, live under extremely unhealthy conditions in a garbage-strewn township full of rats. Their Romà families survive by stealing or collecting metal garbage in order to sell, doing the hardest job, by burning cables to extract the copper contained inside, which creates a toxic cloud from cancerous dioxines that hover over their shanty town. They sell the copper to the illegal scrappers for 4 euros per kilo. Their township is settled illegally in a private land, so they have no access to clean water, electricity, sanitation, school or medical care. Roma’s rehabilitation is far from reality, since Greek society is struck hard by corruption and the economic crisis. While shantytowns are less common in Europe, the growing influx of illegal immigrants has fueled them in cities commonly used as points of entry into the EU, including the ancient – historical center of Athens.

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962 September 16,2011, Athens, Greece: Roma shanty town of Botanikos. Acropolis temple & Mt. Ymmitos in the background © Maro Kouri 963 Roma young father came from Albania to Athens center shantytown to survive with his family. He holds his two babies at his arms. Shantytown in the background © Maro Kouri 964 July 5, 2011 - Botanikos, Athens, Greece: Roma little boy who left school to work in the squatter ship of central Athens, is dreaming of a toy. Shantytown in the background © Maro Kouri 965 October 26, 2011- Botanikos, Athens Greece: Franco is a little boy who works all day and sometimes even during the night in the burnt junk yard where he collects scrap metal in order to sell it © Maro Kouri 966 July 5, 2011-Botanikos, Athens, Greec: Roma children burn the cables and the metal garbage to find copper and then sell it. Acropolis in the background © Maro Kouri 968 July 5, 2011. Botanikos, Athens, Greece:The night falls in the slum. Instead of going to sleep, the three little Roma boys drive an open truck where they carry collected cables and scrups in order to sell © Maro Kouri 970 July 5, 2011-Athens. Greece : A Roma girl burns garbage in the shantytown of Botanikos © Maro Kouri 972 July 5, 2011-Botanikos, Athens, Greece: A smoke emerges in to the Roma shantytown from the burning cables and other metal trash and children run playing … © Maro Kouri 973 October 22, 2011 - Athens, Greece: 15-year old mother plays with other children in the township. 800 Albanian gypsies live under extreme unhealthy conditions since 2000 in a township on an occupied, private property, only three km below Acropolis. Greek authorities are not able to transfer the gypsies to another legal land in order to gain access to clean water, sanitary and electricity- due to financial crisis. (Maro Kouri / polaris) © Maro Kouri 974 September 16, 2011-Athens, Greece: Baby has a bath into a small plastic basin next to a cock outside his family shanty © Maro Kouri 975 October 22, 2011 -Athens, Greece:10 years old Zosefine carries a plastic bag with toys that she collected from the streets and garbage. Zosefine, was born in Botanikos Roma' township after the arrival of her parents from the Albanian gypsy-city El Basan. © Maro Kouri Baby in a squater of Athens gypsy' s slum October 22, 2011- Athens, Greece: Baby stands in the squater of the gypsy slum, three km below Acropolis. More than 900 Albanian Roma live in an occupied land with no access to clean water or sanitaty and their relocation is impossible due to greek crisis. (Maro Kouri / polaris) © Maro Kouri 979 July 5, 2011-Botanikos, Athens, Greece: Roma woman with gold tooth laughs and breasfeeds her baby in the shanty town © Maro Kouri 980 Almost 30,000 Roma from Albania and Bulgaria came the last years in Greece. Just 3 km under Acropolis. Since 1998, one thousand Roma live in a slum settlement, in a private land, at Votanicos area, in Tavros municipality of Athens. The 600 children aged from babies to 15 years old, live under unhealthy conditions into the garbage-township where the Albanian Roma survive by stealing or collecting from the street-bins cables and other metal garbage into their slum. They burn the cables to sell the copper, creating a toxic cloud from dioxines totally cancerous that dances in the Athenian air. While shantytowns are less common in Europe, the growing influx of illegal immigrants have fueled shantytowns in cities commonly used as a points of entry into the EU, including Athens. Roma, steal the Pakistan and other Arab and south Asian illegal immigrants, as they cannot go and accuse Roma officially to the police stations///The legs of a child who stands on the top of a garbage heap in front of the slum © Maro Kouri 981 Almost 30,000 Roma from Albania and Bulgaria came the last years in Greece. Just 3 km under Acropolis. Since 1998, one thousand Roma live in a slum settlement, in a private land, at Votanicos area, in Tavros municipality of Athens. The 600 children aged from babies to 15 years old, live under unhealthy conditions into the garbage-township where the Albanian Roma survive by stealing or collecting from the street-bins cables and other metal garbage into their slum. They burn the cables to sell the copper, creating a toxic cloud from dioxines totally cancerous that dances in the Athenian air. While shantytowns are less common in Europe, the growing influx of illegal immigrants have fueled shantytowns in cities commonly used as a points of entry into the EU, including Athens. Roma, steal the Pakistan and other Arab and south Asian illegal immigrants, as they cannot go and accuse Roma officially to the police stations///Young Albania Roma collects cables on his open-air track © Maro Kouri 982 Almost 30,000 Roma from Albania and Bulgaria came the last years in Greece. Just 3 km under Acropolis. Since 1998, one thousand Roma live in a slum settlement, in a private land, at Votanicos area, in Tavros municipality of Athens. The 600 children aged from babies to 15 years old, live under unhealthy conditions into the garbage-township where the Albanian Roma survive by stealing or collecting from the street-bins cables and other metal garbage into their slum. They burn the cables to sell the copper, creating a toxic cloud from dioxines totally cancerous that dances in the Athenian air. While shantytowns are less common in Europe, the growing influx of illegal immigrants have fueled shantytowns in cities commonly used as a points of entry into the EU, including Athens. Roma, steal the Pakistan and other Arab and south Asian illegal immigrants, as they cannot go and accuse Roma officially to the police stations///Nino is one of the three ''chiefs" at Roma slum. He dances. PLates with food on the ground © Maro Kouri 983 Almost 30,000 Roma from Albania and Bulgaria came the last years in Greece. Just 3 km under Acropolis. Since 1998, one thousand Roma live in a slum settlement, in a private land, at Votanicos area, in Tavros municipality of Athens. The 600 children aged from babies to 15 years old, live under unhealthy conditions into the garbage-township where the Albanian Roma survive by stealing or collecting from the street-bins cables and other metal garbage into their slum. They burn the cables to sell the copper, creating a toxic cloud from dioxines totally cancerous that dances in the Athenian air. While shantytowns are less common in Europe, the growing influx of illegal immigrants have fueled shantytowns in cities commonly used as a points of entry into the EU, including Athens. Roma, steal the Pakistan and other Arab and south Asian illegal immigrants, as they cannot go and accuse Roma officially to the police stations///Roma Albania young man drives an open-air three wheel truck, carrying cables, havine his two little sons besides him. Panoramic view of the Roma shanty town and Athens city and mountains in the backgtound © Maro Kouri 984 Almost 30,000 Roma from Albania and Bulgaria came the last years in Greece. Just 3 km under Acropolis. Since 1998, one thousand Roma live in a slum settlement, in a private land, at Votanicos area, in Tavros municipality of Athens. The 600 children aged from babies to 15 years old, live under unhealthy conditions into the garbage-township where the Albanian Roma survive by stealing or collecting from the street-bins cables and other metal garbage into their slum. They burn the cables to sell the copper, creating a toxic cloud from dioxines totally cancerous that dances in the Athenian air. While shantytowns are less common in Europe, the growing influx of illegal immigrants have fueled shantytowns in cities commonly used as a points of entry into the EU, including Athens. Roma, steal the Pakistan and other Arab and south Asian illegal immigrants, as they cannot go and accuse Roma officially to the police ///Little Roma girl intead of sleep, she burns garbage outside her shanty in the slum © Maro Kouri 985 Almost 30,000 Roma from Albania and Bulgaria came the last years in Greece. Just 3 km under Acropolis. Since 1998, one thousand Roma live in a slum settlement, in a private land, at Votanicos area, in Tavros municipality of Athens. The 600 children aged from babies to 15 years old, live under unhealthy conditions into the garbage-township where the Albanian Roma survive by stealing or collecting from the street-bins cables and other metal garbage into their slum. They burn the cables to sell the copper, creating a toxic cloud from dioxines totally cancerous that dances in the Athenian air. While shantytowns are less common in Europe, the growing influx of illegal immigrants have fueled shantytowns in cities commonly used as a points of entry into the EU, including Athens. Roma, steal the Pakistan and other Arab and south Asian illegal immigrants, as they cannot go and accuse Roma officially to the police stations///10 year old Irene Tenodaris from El Basan, Albania, left school, in order to run around streets, collecting metal trash and cables into her tray. She holds some copper cables. Roma shantytown in the background © Maro Kouri Girl sits on the garbage October 22, 2011 - Athens, Greece: Georgia, a gypsy girl sitting on a throne like trashed sofa in the slum. 800 Albanian gypsies live under extreme unhealthy conditions since 2000 in a township on an occupied, private property, only three km below Acropolis. Greek authorities are not able to transfer the gypsies to another legal land in order to gain access to clean water, sanitary and electricity- due to financial crisis. (Maro Kouri / polaris) © Maro Kouri 987 © Maro Kouri 988 © Maro Kouri 989 July 11, 2011- Athens, Greece: Almost 30,000 Roma from Albania and Bulgaria came the last years in Greece. Just 3 km under Acropolis. Since 1998, one thousand Roma live in a slum settlement, in a private land, at Botanicos area, in Tavros municipality of Athens. 1000 Roma with 600 children aged from babies to 15 years old, live under extreme unhealthy conditions into the garbage-township. © Maro Kouri
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