Multi-criteria decision analysis of land suitability for the construction of open refugee accommodation facilities in Greece

Tsakiridi, Anastasia, Chalkias, Christos and Papadopoulos, Apostolos G. (2020) Multi-criteria decision analysis of land suitability for the construction of open refugee accommodation facilities in Greece. Penn, Daniel and McGowan, Jacinta (eds.) In Proceedings – SPACE International Conferences November 2020. SPACE Studies Publications. pp. 83-91 . (doi:10.5281/ZENODO.13908576).

Abstract

Over the last fi ve years, Greece has been one of the main gateways of refugees and migrantsin the EU. In order to deal with that migration and refugee crisis, the Greek Governmentconstructed several Refugee Accommodation Facilities and Reception and Identifi cation Centers.Due to their temporary and emergent nature, these facilities were constructed without followingstrict planning procedures and regulations. This study aims to provide a methodological multicriteria framework based on a narrative literature review and the use of spatial analysis in order toinform spatial planning policies for allocating refugee facilities. The results of the literature reviewrevealed six research articles, one study and two textbooks. They led to the listing of twenty-three (23)spatial criteria of social, infrastructure and geographic components. For the creation of the spatialsuitability maps, all twenty-three criteria were included in the multi-criteria decision algorithmconcerning the spatial planning legislation of Greece. The results of the performed analysis showedthat the 6,267.65 km2 of the Greek territory are suitable for the construction of such a facility, whilethe 125,761.34 km2 are not. Also, our study highlighted the fact that only 9 out of the 36 currentAccommodation Facilities and Reception and Identifi cation Centers have been constructed withinor close (250 meters) to suitable areas. Such results indicate a lack of planning, which may havemultiple eff ects on the population (native and foreign). Additionally, the results signify the vitalcontribution of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in assessing land suitability for the spatialplanning of refugee accommodation. The proposed criteria and methodology can be a valuableplanning tool for migration policy and decision-makers internationally.

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