In Arkalochori, where the ground shook hard back in September 2021, people are facing another shock—this time from the state. Survivors who received a small amount of emergency money after the quake are now being told to give it back. All of it. Some even with interest.
Why? Because of a rule hidden in a government decision released in mid-July. If these people haven’t submitted their full paperwork for housing repair aid by August 17, they must return all documents provided after the disaster.
This includes homeowners, renters, and even small businesses. And if you’re a legal entity? You might owe extra interest.
Kostas Gkantatsios, who heads the local victims’ group “Elpida,” says:
“Four years after the quake and not even the basics are in place. And now they hit us with this.”
He points out that many survivors didn’t complete their files, not out of neglect, but because of the state’s own delays. Many offices were left understaffed. Some workers were sent to help other disaster-hit areas—Rhodes, Thessaly, and Evros.
In the meantime, thousands of aid files remain untouched.
Now the government says: no file, no aid. Actually, worse. They say: No file, give it all back.
And there’s more. If the repayment demand is confirmed, it will be recorded in the tax service system and collected as public debt. Even individuals may be forced to pay back in 2 to 48 installments. But if you’re a business? There might be interest on top.
This isn’t just another bureaucratic rule. It’s a major threat to people already struggling. Gkantatsios calls it a setup for social unrest.
“People feel abandoned. The system didn’t help them, and now it turns against them.”
The bottom line? No one is expecting an extension past August 17. The state says this is it.
And that means survivors now have to race against the clock, in the middle of summer, during peak vacation time, while many public offices barely function.
If they don’t make it? They lose everything they were given to stay afloat.
It’s not just unfair. It feels cruel.
