The Historical Foundations of the Greek Working Class Response to the Syrian Refugee Crisis

Abstract

Greece has served as a primary location for Syrian refugees fleeing the country’s ongoing civil war. The crisis has prompted an altruistic response from many Greek natives, who have become some of the most active refugee volunteers on the European continent. However, this positive response is not universal, as some natives have resisted the incorporation of Syrians into their communities. The surge of migrants has resulted in a rise in the electoral popularity of nationalist political movements, such as those embraced by the extremist Golden Dawn party. This paper illustrates that these nativist responses are merely echoes of Greece’s past. Following the passage of the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, a population exchange between Greece and Turkey produced a similar surge in migrants. These migrants faced nativist policies from the government, who only allowed the Hellenic language to be taught in schools, and were often ostracized within native communities. The paper advocates for a civics and education-based solution that combines volunteer work with Greece’s rich history of immigration.