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Paper short abstract:

The war in Syria and the continual bombardment of cities and homes has ensured that many citizens have been displaced. Syrian Refugees are now living in liminal spaces while their status and relocation is processed. What are their lives like in these unfamiliar places?

Paper long abstract:

Near the town of Lehaina (Myrsini Ileias, Greece), an abandoned holiday resort has become a temporary home to 238 Syrian refugees who have fled their homes at a time of war. The mayor of the town, of Syrian background, left Syria and settled in Lehaina with his Greek wife. He saw the plight of his country and the people fleeing and offered a partial solution. The inhabitants have come as individuals, in small family groups and in larger ones. Their journeys to this place have been varied and complex and their origins span the range of occupations that reflect a modern society. What do they make of their 'new' homes? How do they live their daily lives? What challenges do they face and what alliances have they needed to cultivate? These are just some of the issues that are canvassed in this narrative of displacement and search for a new home. Video diaries and interviews with children living at the L & M refugee center highlight their former lives within this liminal space and their desire for a new home. How do they reconcile all these challenges in a time of strife? The video ethnographies and informal interviews with the children reveal the complexities of defining home and the un/certainties associated with being displaced. The rich conversations illustrate the fact that while the anchor of the 'homeland' remains in place, moving towards a future in which one is allowed to thrive enables new hopes that are yet to be realized.