Chapter 5: The Refugee Crisis and Its Impact on the Greek Society

In 2011, with the start of the Syrian war, Europe faced the worst migrant and humanitarian crisis since the Second World War. The refugee crisis brought its own challenges, and the countries that were closest to the Syrian border were the first to face that crisis. A large number of countries in the south of Europe in 2015 were the first to be hit by the wave of refugees, and Greece was one of the first countries from the European Union to be on the defensive. Greece turned into a humanitarian area and a zone of solidarity, but it also suffered a number of economic and social challenges that were unusual for the Greek people. In this chapter, we will refer to the refugee crisis and the direct implications in the Greek society from an economic, social, and political aspect. Special emphasis will be placed on the relations between Greece and Turkey and the influence of the European Union's policy during the refugee crisis.