'The clients don’t care about these boys”Ali A. Sometimes, the actual act is carried out at the client’s house but, more often than not, the boys end up just going into the bushes with their client. Every night, several dozen young men congregate in Victoria park, Pedion tou Areos park and on the Omonia Square to sell themselves. Migrants of all ages also face widespread discrimination.īecause they have no access to the labour market, many end up having to turn to illegal trades, such as prostitution, to survive.
With no source of income, most end up living in tent cities with no hot water or electricity. Their young age - some of them are barely 15 - makes them especially vulnerable in already precarious conditions. Most of the young migrants you see in these public squares are Afghan and some are very young. Despite the continuing efforts of numerous NGOs, some young migrants - especially unaccompanied minors - find themselves caught up in illegal trades, including drugs, human trafficking and, most frequently, prostitution. It’s almost impossible for them to find work or decent housing, so they while away their days in public spaces. Town squares and parks in Athens, Greece, are filled with migrants who idle there, trapped in limbo between Turkey and Europe.
