Afghan asylum seekers in Athens see sex work as only option

According to a story reported by Aljazeera, young Afghan asylum seekers in Athens, Greece are resorting to sex work in order to survive and cover their daily expenses. Pedion Areos Park in Athens has become a gathering point for illegal male prostitution, with some refugees as young as 15 working as sex workers in the park.

Mahmood is one such refugee who has become trapped as a sex worker in Greece. The 20-year-old Afghan describes his story in this way:

“I am ashamed about what I do for money, but I will tell you. I didn’t know anyone when I arrived in Athens. Life was very difficult and it still is. I don’t have a home so I sleep every night in a park nearby. I had only two options when I arrived – one was to become a thief or a drug dealer. But I am not that kind of person. The other option was to stay in the park and have sex with older men, or anyone … that asked for it for five or 10 euros [around $5 and $10] ….”

Mahmoud lives in a tent that he shares with an Iranian asylum seeker in the park where he works. According to Mahmoud, the money he makes only covers the cost of his daily food and he cannot save anything.

In order to regulate prostitution, Greece has strict laws on prostitution. Sex workers must be legal residents of Greece, be over 18 and register as a licensed holder. Sexual health checks and access to free treatment for sexually transmitted diseases is provided to licensed sex workers. However, unlicensed street sex workers, like Mahmoud, do not have this access.

Mahmoud is regretful about his work but feels there is no way out of his current situation.