Photoblog: A tale of two refugee camps

According to official sources, 62,156 refugees are at the moment living in Greece, with 14,268 accommodated in official facilities on the Aegean islands, prohibited from travelling to the mainland until their asylum applications are processed.

These refugees have been stranded since March 2016, in formal and makeshift camps around the country.

But conditions vary dramatically. Elliniko camp is a hastily cobbled together collection of areas of shelter. Refugees live here in summer tents, in an abandoned airport and its carpark, and in long disused olympic facilities.

Skaramagas camp, meanwhile, is a collection of shipping containers with power and water, on the shoreline - where fishing is plentiful.

Photojournalist Kostis Ntantamis visited the two camps and documented life there for The New Arab.

Read the full story, by Katja Lihtenvalner, here.

A makeshift prayer space inside the former Athens airport's arrivals terminal, now used as a camp for refugees and migrants [Kostis Ntantamis]

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The arrivals terminal of the Elliniko airport is strewn with refugees' laundry [Kostis Ntantamis]

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Refugees and their supporters joined an anti-racism demonstration in Central Athens on March 18, 2017 [Kostis Ntantamis]

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A refugee from Afghanistan was among many demanding human rights be respected in the refugee camps [Kostis Ntantamis]

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Masood, from Afghanistan, has been camped out in the former Athens airport for more than a year - and hates the food [Kostis Ntantamis]

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Meanwhile, refugee accommodation at Skaramagas, outside Athens, is secure and uses solar panels for power generation [Kostis Ntantamis]

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Mustafa (R), a 27-year-old Syrian refugee, at his makeshift falafel and snack shop inside the Skaramagas camp [Kostis Ntantamis]

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Conditions in Skaramagas aren't exactly palatial, but they are better than at many refugee camps in Greece [Kostis Ntantamis]

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Tarpaulins have been strung between several of the containers, creating sheltered 'streets' within the Skaramagas refugee camp [Kostis Ntantamis]

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Nader, his wife and their two children share their two-room container with his brother's family. Eight people live in the cramped container [Kostis Ntantamis]

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Several of the refugees at Skaramagas camp have set up stalls selling food; others prepare their own [Kostis Ntantamis]

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Refugees use the port of Skaramagas for fishing [Kostis Ntantamis]

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Ahmed (R), watches his friend cleaning a fish he just caught at Skaramagas port [Kostis Ntantamis]

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The Skaramagas refugee camp runs directly along the coast [Kostis Ntantamis]

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Other small businesses here include a makeshift barber shop [Kostis Ntantamis]

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Skaramagas camp is home to nearly 3,000 people [Kostis Ntantamis]

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While the sunsets at the Skaramagas refugee camp may seem beautiful, all refugees just want to move to permanent homes [Kostis Ntantamis]