Kato Patissia – Omonia
The Municipality of Athens has the highest concentration of foreign migrants in Attica, comprising 17 percent of its population. The concentration of migrants is densest «in neighborhoods on either side of the ISAP railway lines, from Kato Patissia to Omonia, where they comprise as much as 40-50 percent of the population,» Skylakakis told Kathimerini. «This has certain consequences. The schools are full of pupils who are not yet competent in Greek, and nursery schools are under pressure from the sudden growth of the population.» But the concentration of migrants in certain parts of Attica does not lead to the formation of ghettos in the strict sense of the term. «Often they are ethnic groupings. One follows another, like Greeks in Astoria, through networks of friends or family. Besides, they act the same as internal migrants to Athens did 30 years ago,» social anthropologist and National Center for Social Research (EKKE) researcher Maria Petronoti told Kathimerini. «The ‘new’ migrants rent old apartments, small spaces, basement or mezzanine apartments in disadvantaged areas. Acharnon Avenue has not been downgraded by the presence of foreigners; it had already been abandoned by Greeks looking for better living conditions.» «On one hand, areas such as Metaxourgeio have been painted, cleaned and revitalized by migrants, and many stores have opened at which Greek customers also shop,» explained Petronoti. «On the other hand, Greeks might feel more of a threat from the presence of foreigners, particularly those of certain nationalities. From personal experience, I know that sometimes there are clashes among members of the same ethnic group or between different ethnic groups. But these clashes do not go beyond the bounds of the particular ethnic community – in short, they don’t go out into the street with knives.»
